Necrotizing encephalitis in skunks caused by Herpes simplex virus.

Herpes simplex virus was isolated from the brain of a wild skunk (Mephitis mephitis) which had clinical neurological disease. In the brain of this skunk and in brain of skunks inoculated intracerebrally, there were areas of necrosis in the grey matter of the cerebral cortex and to a lesser extent in the brain stem. Intranuclear inclusions occurred in neurons and glial cells with vascular cuffing by mononuclear cells and a few neutrophils. Skunks inoculated intravenously had extensive focal necrosis in the liver and adrenal glands.