[Ribavirin prophylaxis and therapy of experimental West Nile fever]

Abstract

Investigation of the efficacy of ribavirin against the West Nile virus in standard cell cultures showed that in high concentrations it inhibited the virus reproduction (the inhibition coefficient of 100%). In the experiments on albino mice infected with the West Nile virus in a dose of 10 LD50 ribavirin was used in the form of injections in a dose of 20 mg/kg for 7 days in the scheme of urgent prophylaxis and proved to be highly efficient in protection of the animals from death (85-percent survival).