Latent cytomegalovirus infection of BALB/c mouse spleens detected by an explant culture technique.

Latent murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection of BALB/c mouse spleens was studied using several methods including an explant tissue culture technique, co-cultivation on allogeneic and syngeneic cell cultures and nucleic acid hybridization. BALB/c mice experience latent infection which persists for at least 6 months and involves only a small fraction of spleen cells. The explant culture technique proved to be much more sensitive than other methods for detecting latent infection of lymphoid tissues.