[Clinical and experimental amyotrophic leukospongiosis (progressive spinal amyotrophy)].

The authors succeeded in reproducing amyotrophic leukospongiosis in experiments on two squirrel monkeys 16-23 months after challenge with cerebral suspension obtained at autopsy from a human patient. The clinico-morphological studies showed the similarity of the disease in humans and monkeys. A previously unknown agent belonging by its properties to "slow" viruses was isolated. The successful reproduction of amyotrophic leukospongiosis under experimental conditions proved its infectious nature.