Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) is a type of coronavirus that affects rodents, especially colonies of laboratory mice. The virus causes an epidemic murine illness with high mortality rates and can be catastrophic among dense populations. Although the infection generally causes no overt clinical signs, it can cause profound changes in the immune system, affecting the interpretation of a wide variety of experimental results.
Transmission:
The virus is spread through contact with an infected mouse. This can either be via the fecal-oral route or through aerosols (airborne particles expelled through the nose or the mouth). As a result,
Symptoms:
Adult infections are usually asymptomatic. Clinical signs depend on the strain of virus and are most evident in infant mice. Typically, these include:
- Diarrhea
- Poor growth
- Early death
