Clinical signs include initial growth retardation and eventual immune complex glomerulonephritis accompanied by emaciation, ruffled fur, hunched posture, ascites, and, occasionally, death. In contrast, T-cell activity is diminished. Eventually, immune tolerance breaks down, resulting in chronic illness with widespread lymphocytic infiltration and vasculitis. A second clinical pattern is that of the nontolerant infection. This pattern occurs with acute infection of postneonatal mice.
Viremia occurs without viral shedding.
Infected mice either die or eliminate the virus, frequently without showing signs of disease. Pathologic features of this pattern include necrotizing hepatitis and generalized lymphoid depletion. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis is generally seen only following experimental intracerebral inoculation and is not a feature of natural infection. Intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes are also activated. Virus-specific antibody is also induced.