Biomaterial Database

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis in laboratory personnel exposed to hamsters inadvertently infected with LCM virus. 1977

R J Biggar, and T J Schmidt, and J P Woodall

Seven of 27 students and staff oa a university laboratory became ill with lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) following exposure over an 18-month period to hamsters implanted with tumors. The clinical symptoms were compatible with LCM infection and all the patients' sera had fluorescent antibody to LCM virus; 5 of them also had complement-fixing (CF) antibodies. Complement-fixing antibodies were found in 9 of 9 hamsters with tumors and 16 of 31 without tumors (excluding 6 hamsters with anticomplementary sera) and in 8 of 14 rabbits, but in none of 49 rats. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus was isolated from 4 pools of liver and spleen, 2 each from hamsters with and without tumors, and from a frozen stored sample of the tumor cells. Interlaboratory transmission may have occurred via infected tumor cells. Control was achieved by destroying all animals in the project room as well as all hamsters in the building. The possibility that many tumor cell lines carried in hamsters may be infected with LCM virus has important implications for laboratory safety as well as for the validity of the research results obtained, inasmuch as the virus enhances the growth of some tumors and retards others.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007757	Laboratory Infection	Accidentally acquired infection in laboratory workers.	Infection, Laboratory,Infections, Laboratory,Laboratory Infections
D008216	Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis	A form of meningitis caused by LYMPHOCYTIC CHORIOMENINGITIS VIRUS. MICE and other rodents serve as the natural hosts, and infection in humans usually occurs through inhalation or ingestion of infectious particles. Clinical manifestations include an influenza-like syndrome followed by stiff neck, alterations of mentation, ATAXIA, and incontinence. Maternal infections may result in fetal malformations and injury, including neonatal HYDROCEPHALUS, aqueductal stenosis, CHORIORETINITIS, and MICROCEPHALY. (From Joynt, Clinical Neurology, 1996, Ch26, pp1-3)	Armstrong Syndrome,Armstrong's Syndrome,Encephalomyelitis, Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus,Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Encephalomyelitis,Choriomeningitis, Lymphocytic,Syndrome, Armstrong,Syndrome, Armstrong's
D008217	Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus	The type species of ARENAVIRUS, part of the Old World Arenaviruses (ARENAVIRUSES, OLD WORLD), producing a silent infection in house and laboratory mice. In humans, infection with LCMV can be inapparent, or can present with an influenza-like illness, a benign aseptic meningitis, or a severe meningoencephalomyelitis. The virus can also infect monkeys, dogs, field mice, guinea pigs, and hamsters, the latter an epidemiologically important host.	LCM Viruses,LCMV,LCM Virus,Lymphocytic choriomeningitis viruses
D008297	Male		Males
D008647	Mesocricetus	A genus in the order Rodentia and family Cricetidae. One species, Mesocricetus auratus or golden hamster is widely used in biomedical research.	Hamsters, Golden,Hamsters, Golden Syrian,Hamsters, Syrian,Mesocricetus auratus,Syrian Golden Hamster,Syrian Hamster,Golden Hamster,Golden Hamster, Syrian,Golden Hamsters,Golden Syrian Hamsters,Hamster, Golden,Hamster, Syrian,Hamster, Syrian Golden,Syrian Hamsters
D009368	Neoplasm Transplantation	Experimental transplantation of neoplasms in laboratory animals for research purposes.	Transplantation, Neoplasm,Neoplasm Transplantations,Transplantations, Neoplasm
D011471	Prostatic Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the PROSTATE.	Cancer of Prostate,Prostate Cancer,Cancer of the Prostate,Neoplasms, Prostate,Neoplasms, Prostatic,Prostate Neoplasms,Prostatic Cancer,Cancer, Prostate,Cancer, Prostatic,Cancers, Prostate,Cancers, Prostatic,Neoplasm, Prostate,Neoplasm, Prostatic,Prostate Cancers,Prostate Neoplasm,Prostatic Cancers,Prostatic Neoplasm
D005260	Female		Females
D006224	Cricetinae	A subfamily in the family MURIDAE, comprising the hamsters. Four of the more common genera are Cricetus, CRICETULUS; MESOCRICETUS; and PHODOPUS.	Cricetus,Hamsters,Hamster
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man