The effect of various concentrations of acyclovir on the mean plaque size of pseudorabies virus (SHV), infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (IBR virus) and pigeon herpesvirus (PHV) has been studied. Acyclovir significantly reduced the mean plaque size of SHV and PHV, whereas IBR virus was less affected and did only show a reduction of the mean plaque size at the highest concentration of acyclovir used (1000 microM). In vivo effect of acyclovir was tested using pigeons and budgerigars experimentally infected with PHV and rabbits experimentally infected with a very low dose of SHV. Intramuscular injections of acyclovir (100 mg/kg/day; three injections/day) did not prevent the appearance of clinical disease in infected pigeons nor did reduce the level of viral excretion. The same treatment applied, as for the pigeons, before infection protected most of the budgerigars as long as they were treated, but most of them died soon after the end of the treatment. Only one rabbit was protected by the treatment. SHV was recovered in the lung of only one of the treated animals, whereas it was isolated in the lungs of each control animal.
