Naturally occurring murine norovirus infection in a large research institution

Murine norovirus (MNV) is a recently discovered infectious agent in mice and may be the most common naturally occurring infection of laboratory mice in North America. In 2005, we surveyed the Swiss Webster female sentinel mice in our institute's research facilities. Of the 4 facilities surveyed, 3 had sentinel mice that were positive for MNV antibodies, whereas our largest facility (which only receives mice directly from select vendors or by embryo rederivation directly into the facility) was apparently MNV-free. However, testing of sentinel mice in this large facility 1 y later found that 2% of the animals had developed MNV-specific antibodies. In a recently opened fifth facility, a serologic survey in 2006 identified MNV-antibody-positive Tac:SW sentinel mice that had received bedding from experimental mice on the same rack quadrant. Reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction analysis of feces from the cages of these mice showed evidence for shedding of MNV. These sentinel mice were used to study the fecal excretion, antibody development, gross lesions upon necropsy, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry of the viral infection. None of the MNV-antibody-positive sentinel mice exhibited clinical signs or gross lesions, but these mice excreted virus in feces and developed antibodies to MNV. Histopathologic lesions consisted only of a few hepatic inflammatory foci in each liver section, some of which were immunoreactive with antibodies to MNV. MNV viral antigens also were present in the mesenteric lymph nodes.