Studies on the Etiology of Rabbit Pox

Abstract

The preceding paper contains the results of various reinoculation experiments in which the viruses of rabbit pox, virus I I I disease, infectious m y x o m a of rabbits, culture (dermo) vaccinia, and neurovaccinia were compared (1). The findings with respect to the reaction of recovered rabbits to exposure to clinical cases of pox, together with the observations on a calf inoculated with pox, two specimens of vaccine virus, and neurovaccine were also reported. The present paper is concerned with the results of the serum neutralization tests in which various combinations of the viruses and the immune sera of pox, vaccinia, neurovaccinia, and virus I I I were studied. Materials and MethodsThe various virus emulsions were prepared from tissues obtained from cases of acute orchitis produced by intratesticular injection of tissue-virus. The testicles were ground with alundum and Locke's solution to make a suspension of 10 to 20 per cent concentration by weight. Gross particles were removed by low speed centrifugation. The emulsions were kept in the ice box while their bacterial sterility was tested.The immune sera were obtained from rabbits inoculated 17 to 134 days previously or in the case of spontaneous pox, a fortnight or more after all signs of the disease had healed. Each specimen was kept in sealed tubes in the ice box. The sterility of each serum was tested before tubing and before use.The tests were carried out in the usual manner. Desired dilutions of virus or serum were made with Locke's solution. Equal parts of tissue-virus emulsion and of serum were thoroughly mixed in small sterile Petri dishes and allowed to stand at room temperature 1½ to 2½ hours; 0.2 cc. of the mixture was then injected 379 on

Studies on the Etiology of Rabbit Pox

“…Furthermore, the serum of pox recovered rabbits completely neutralized pox virus (4). The results of crossed inoculation and immune serum-virus neutralization experiments showed that there was no specific relationship between the viruses of pox and virus III disease (3,4). A similar conclusion was drawn from the experiments on pox and infectious myxoma of rabbits (3).…”

“…Rabbits which had recovered from the spontaneous or the experimental disease were refractory to inoculation of pox virus, nor did clinical manifestations of the infection develop under conditions of exposure to florid cases (3). Furthermore, the serum of pox recovered rabbits completely neutralized pox virus (4). The results of crossed inoculation and immune serum-virus neutralization experiments showed that there was no specific relationship between the viruses of pox and virus III disease (3,4).…”

“…A similar conclusion was drawn from the experiments on pox and infectious myxoma of rabbits (3). In the case of vaccinia, however, some relationship between pox and vaccine virus was evident although complete identity could not be demonstrated (3,4). The relationship appeared to be closer between pox virus and neurovaccine than between pox virus and dermovaccine.…”

“…The isolation and serial transmission of a filterable agent from spontaneous cases of rabbit pox, together with a description of certain of its pathogenic properties and of the clinical manifestations of the experimentally induced infection, were reported in the first two papers of this series (1, 2). The experiments on the immunological aspects of the reaction to pox infection have also been reported (3,4). In the latter work, the relation of pox virus to other viruses was taken up primarily from the standpoint of identification.…”