[Experimental animal model of airborne influenza infection].

Experiments were performed for analysing the responses of the host to influenza respiratory tract infections. NMRI and Balb/c mice were infected with various doses of mouse adapted influenza virus (A/PR8/34) by aerosol. Clinical symptoms, rate of survival, total cell yield and total protein content in the lung lavage fluid as well as the course of virus titres showed typical changes depending on time and infection dose. Histologically, after moderate infection doses mice developed mononuclear infiltrations as bronchitis and peribronchitis whereas oedema and severe pneumonitis occurred in highly infected animals. The mouse model seems to be a useful basis for analysing the effects of immunization procedure against influenza.