| Abstract: | New Zealand albino rabbits were inoculated in the right superior cervical ganglion with 25 microliter of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) (McKrae strain; 10(3) or 10(5) PFU/ml). Positive tear film swabs were detected at least once in 28/32 (88%) of ipsilateral eyes and 6/32 (19%) of contralateral eyes beginning on postinoculation (PI) day 2-6. The average HSV-1 titer in the tear film was 4.0 X 10(3) PFU in ipsilateral eyes and 2.7 X 10(3) PFU in contralateral eyes, determined from eye washes after inoculation of 25 PFU of HSV-1. In selected rabbits, the aqueous humor was positive for virus on PI days 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8. the aqueous humor in ipsilateral eyes showed positive results in 9/11 (82%) of the eyes tapped on PI 3, 13/18 (72%) on PI 4, 5/11 (45%) on PI 5, 1/6 (17%) on PI 6, and 1/2 (50%) on PI 8. No virus was detected in aqueous humor tappings in any contralateral eyes (0/65). Conjunctivitis and iritis (iris hyperemia) appeared in all ipsilateral eyes beginning as early as PI day 1. Conjunctivitis occurred in 1/21 (4.8%) of contralateral eyes. Cells and flare appeared in 18/21 (86%) of ipsilateral eyes and 2/21 (9.5%) of contralateral eyes. Hyphema was noted in 3/21 (14%) of ipsilateral eyes. Of the eyes with iritis, 12/21 (57%) developed corneal edema. Corneal dendritic ulcers were observed in 4/21 (19%) of ipsilateral eyes and 2/21 (9.5%) of contralateral eyes. No ocular fundus changes were seen in any contralateral or ipsilateral eyes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) |
