Arbovirus infection of vertebrate and insect cell cultures, with special emphasis on Mokola, Obodhiang, and kotonkan viruses of the rabies serogroup

Abstract

Multiplication of rabies serogroup viruses, Obodhiang and kotonkan (two presumptive arboviruses), was induced in vertebrate cell cultures with Singh's A. albopictus cell cultures used as "helper cells" in cocultivation experiments. Plaque formation without prior in vitro adaptation was induced in Vero cell cultures with eight rabies serogroup viruses: in all five instances by cocultivation of either infected BHK-21 or A. albopictus cells with Vero cells under agar overlay and in three of eight instances by direct plaque assay of infected mouse brain suspensions. In cross-plaque reduction neutralization tests with cloned viruses that represented human pathogens, rabies, Duvenhage, and Mokola, on the one hand, and the presumptive arboviruses Obodhiang and kotonkan, on the other hand, Mokola virus shared common antigenic components with both the nonarboviruses and the arboviruses. Biologically, Mokola virus was different from the other two human pathogens, rabies and Duvenhage, in that it multiplied in both vertebrate and invertebrate cell cultures. Mokola virus thus appears to be the biologic and serologic bridging agent.