[Experimental amyotrophic leukospongiosis in guinea pigs after retrobulbar infection].

The results of modelling of amyotrophic leukospongiosis, a new form of slow infection of the human central nervous system, on guinea-pigs are reported. The animals were injected retrobalbulary with the virus-containing suspension. 1.5-2.5 weeks after the injection 70% of animals revealed signs of retinopathy during ophthalmoscopy. Two months later 90% of animals died, 40% of them exhibiting manifestations of the infection. Experimental amyotrophic leukospongiosis was histologically confirmed in all the dead animals. This method of modelling made it possible to shorten the incubation period to 1.0-2.0 months, while in intracerebral and intramuscular ways of contamination it was 3.5-8.2 and 5.3-11.1 months, respectively. The results evidence the involvement of the peripheral visual analyzer in the pathogenesis of experimental leukospongiosis at the early stages of its development.