Direct immunofluorescence testing of haired skin, nasal planum, and footpads of clinically normal woodchuck hepatitis virus-infected and non-infected woodchucks.

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of immunoreactant deposition in the skin, footpad, and nasal planum of 10 clinically normal, non WHV-infected woodchucks. The second part of the study investigated the frequency of immunoreactant deposition at the same sites in clinically normal, WHV-infected woodchucks, and compared these results with those reported in humans. Direct immunofluorescence testing of the haired skin, footpad, and nasal planum of all normal and 9 of the 10 WHV-infected woodchucks was negative. The footpad of 1 WHV-infected woodchuck revealed immunoreactant deposition in the walls of the superficial dermal blood vessels.