HSV-1 recovery from ocular tissues after viral inoculation into the superior cervical ganglion.

New Zealand albino rabbits were inoculated in the right superior cervical ganglion with 25 microliter of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) (McKrae strain; 10(3) or 10(5) PFU/ml). Positive tear film swabs were detected at least once in 28/32 (88%) of ipsilateral eyes and 6/32 (19%) of contralateral eyes beginning on postinoculation (PI) day 2-6. The average HSV-1 titer in the tear film was 4.0 X 10(3) PFU in ipsilateral eyes and 2.7 X 10(3) PFU in contralateral eyes, determined from eye washes after inoculation of 25 PFU of HSV-1. In selected rabbits, the aqueous humor was positive for virus on PI days 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8. the aqueous humor in ipsilateral eyes showed positive results in 9/11 (82%) of the eyes tapped on PI 3, 13/18 (72%) on PI 4, 5/11 (45%) on PI 5, 1/6 (17%) on PI 6, and 1/2 (50%) on PI 8. No virus was detected in aqueous humor tappings in any contralateral eyes (0/65). Conjunctivitis and iritis (iris hyperemia) appeared in all ipsilateral eyes beginning as early as PI day 1. Conjunctivitis occurred in 1/21 (4.8%) of contralateral eyes. Cells and flare appeared in 18/21 (86%) of ipsilateral eyes and 2/21 (9.5%) of contralateral eyes. Hyphema was noted in 3/21 (14%) of ipsilateral eyes. Of the eyes with iritis, 12/21 (57%) developed corneal edema. Corneal dendritic ulcers were observed in 4/21 (19%) of ipsilateral eyes and 2/21 (9.5%) of contralateral eyes. No ocular fundus changes were seen in any contralateral or ipsilateral eyes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)