Characterization of a STAT-1 Knockout Mouse Model for Machupo Virus Infection and Pathogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Machupo virus (MACV), a member of the Arenaviridae family and causative agent of Bolivian hemorrhagic fever, results in lethality rates of 25-35% in humans. Mice lacking the signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT-1^-/-) have previously been shown to succumb to MACV infection within 7-8 days via the intraperitoneal route. Despite these reports, we observed partial lethality in STAT-1^-/- mice following challenge with wild-type MACV. Serial sampling studies to evaluate the temporal progression of infection and pathologic changes after challenge revealed a two-phase disease course. The first phase was characterized by viral load and pathological lesions in the spleen, liver, and kidney followed by a second, lethal phase, defined by high viral titer

SUBMITTER: Monticelli SR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12299389 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature