T-2 toxin impairs murine immune response to respiratory reovirus and exacerbates viral bronchiolitis.

Exposure to immunosuppressive environmental contaminants is a possible contributing factor to increased occurrence of viral respiratory diseases. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the trichothecene mycotoxin T-2 toxin (T-2), a frequent food contaminant, alters host resistance to lung infection by reovirus, a model respiratory virus. Balb/c mice (4 week old) were treated intraperitoneally with T-2 toxin (1.