Further studies on the susceptibility of raccoons (Procyon lotor) to a rabies virus of skunk origin and comparative susceptibility of striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis).

Abstract

Two raccoons (Procyon lotor) were inoculated in the masseter muscles with 10(5.9) mouse intracerebral lethal dose50 (MICD50) of a rabies virus isolated from a naturally infected Iowa (USA) striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis). Five striped skunks were inoculated with either 10(0.7) or 10(2.1) MICLD50 of the same isolate. All five skunks died within 35 days following inoculation. Both raccoons survived 273 days without adverse effects, and virus was not isolated from saliva samples taken at between 25 and 273 days following inoculation.