Abstract
THE natural history of louping ill, particularly the role of small mammals, has been little examined although the disease is still a major veterinary problem in many hill sheep-farms in Scotland. Findlay and Elton1 showed that the short-tailed vole, Microtus agrestis, is susceptible to intracerebral inoculation with the virus. The occurrence of natural infections in wild animals such as red deer, Cervus elaphus2; red grouse, Lagopus scoticus3; and hares, Lepus sp.4, suggested that the virus had a wider natural host range than sheep and cattle.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Findlay, G. M., and Elton, C., J. Comp. Path., 26, 126 (1933).
Dunn, A. M., Brit. Vet. J., 116, 284 (1960).
Williams, H., Thorburn, H., and Ziffo, G. S., Nature, 200, 193 (1963).
Smith, C. E. G. (unpublished information).
Smith, C. E. G., McMahon, D. A., O'Reilly, K. J., Wilson, A. L., and Robertson, J. M., J. Hyg. (Camb.), 62, 53 (1964).
Southern, H. N. (edit.), The Handbook of British Mammals (Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, 1964).
Varma, M. G. R. (in the press).
Rosicky, B., Cesk. Parasit., 1, 15 (1954).
Havlik, O., Czech. Hyg. Epidemiol. Mikrobiol. Immunol., Prague, 3, 300 (1954).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
GORDON SMITH, C., VARMA, M. & MCMAHON, D. Isolation of Louping ill Virus from Small Mammals in Ayrshire, Scotland. Nature 203, 992–993 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1038/203992a0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/203992a0
- Springer Nature Limited