Intravaginal inoculation of female hamsters (40-65 g) with HVH-2 (6 X 105 PFU) results in an infection of 40-67% of the animals. The illness is characterized by vaginitis with discharge, paralysis, and finally death. Washing the vagina with saline 30 min prior to virus inoculation enhances the infection so that 80-100% of the animals eventually die. Virus can be isolated from the vagina within 1-2 days after inoculation. Evidence of infection of the spinal cord is apparent by the third day whereas virus could not be isolated from the brain until Day 5. Attempts to demonstrate virus in whole blood, spleen, kidney, or liver homogenates prepared from infected animals were negative.