Infection of rabbits with human immunodeficiency virus.

Description

An important requirement for the development of a vaccine against the hu immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1)1, the causative agent of AIDS2, is a readily available animal model that would allow possible immunogens to be evalua The only species to have been infected with HIV-1 so far is the chimpanzee However, the scarcity of this animal and its designation as an endangered species8 place severe restrictions on its use as an animal model. Attempts to infect mice, rats, hamsters, guinea-pigs, musk shrews, and rabbits with HIV or infected cells have all been unsuccessful9. We now report that the intraperitoneal inoculation of rabbits with HIV-1 or chronically infected H cells consistently induces a persistent infection.

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