Abstract:
Bluetongue virus was found to induce interferon in mouse embryo (ME) cells and in mice. Different strains of bluetongue virus differed in their ability to induce interferon. Interferon production in ME cells commences after a 5 hour lag phase and the cells continue to produce interferon for 20 hours. Isolated double-stranded bluetongue virus RNA was found to induce maximum titres of interferon in mice approximately 4 hours earlier than was the case with whole virus.