Lactate dehydrogenase elevating virus (LDV) constitutes the species Gamamaarterivirus lacdeh which is part of the family Arteriviridae and order Nidovirales.

The main clinical sign is an increased level of the plasma enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH).

[3] LDV was discovered in 1960 by Dr. Vernon Riley and his colleagues while they were working with plasma enzymes in tumor-bearing mice.

This is the theory for spread of virus in feral or wild mice which have been found to be infected in Europe, America, and Australia.

[2] LDV has a genome that consists of single stranded positive sense RNA that is 14.1kb long.

When other mouse tissues were tested it was found that peritoneal macrophages consistently yielded the highest virus titers.

Another effect only occurs in the C58 and AKR type mice and involves destruction of lower motor neurons producing age-dependent polioencephalomyelitis.

Other effects of the virus include a temporary fall in the total white blood cell count that lasts for twenty-four hours after infection.