Clinical course of RSV infection in adult BALB/c mice
Mice infected with RSV-RFP experienced greatest weight loss at 5 dpi (2.3±0.7%, p <0.05), returning to baseline at 7 dpi, followed by a significantly increased weight gain at 21 dpi compared to day 0 baseline weights (5.4±1.5% p <0.01) (Figure 1A). Clinical symptoms (clinical score) were evident at 3 dpi, peaking at 7 dpi and returning to baseline at 21 dpi (Figure 1B). Viral titres, as determined in lung tissue using qPCR, were significantly elevated at 3 dpi, peaking at 5 dpi and declining by 7 dpi, returning to undetectable levels by 21 dpi (Figure 1C).