Poliomyelitis Virus in Human Stools

The Isolation of Poliomyelitis Virus From Human Extra-Neural Sources. I. Comparison of Virus Content of Pharyngeal Swabs, Oropharyngeal Washings, and Stools of Patients1

“…No virus was found in the nasal or oral secretions, while 9 of the 23 stool specimens were positive for virus. Also using autopsy material, Kessel and his associates (18) found virus in the tonsils of 3 of 6 It was believed therefore that a systematic series of tests for the presence of virus in the pharynx and a record of its persistence there as compared with its elimination in the stools in the same patients might supply information concerning the relative importance of the two sites as sources of recoverable virus. This is the purpose of the study reported in the first paper of the series.…”

A Community Study of Carriers in Epidemic Poliomyelitis 1

“…This is not surprising in respect to a prevailing clinical suspicion, which it supports, that the virus is widespread among a large number of human hosts in epidemics. However, others (5,6), in previous studies, have seldom been able to detect the virus in persons without a history of at least a poorly defined illness, and almost invariably children were the carriers of poliomyelitis virus.…”

“…Fellow in Pediatrics. 3 For the privilege of making these studies, we are indebted to the late Dr. J. N ridor of Cordova, containing most of the town's cases, was selected for study.…”

“…The effectiveness of these methods has broadened our ideas about the way the virus is distributed in familial (5,6), institutional (7), and community (8,9) outbreaks of poliomyelitis. The evidence adduced has indicated that the virus can be found in human stools under specified conditions, viz., in paralytic, abortive, and ambulatory convalescent cases of poliomyelitis, and in presumably healthy contacts, during epidemic periods.…”

The Isolation of Poliomyelitis Virus From Human Extra-Neural Sources. Iii. Persistence of Virus in Stools After Acute Infection 12

“…Little is known of the persistence of virus in stools beyond the first four weeks of the disease. The -literature up to 1940 has been summarized by Trask, Paul, and Vignec (2,3). These surveys indicate that virus is excreted frequently during the first three or four weeks, and rarely thereafter.…”