An experimental study on the effect of immunization with T. A. B. and pertussis vaccine and alum-precipitated diphtheria toxoid on the centripetal and centrifugal neural spread of poliomyelitis virus

Summary

Monkeys were inoculated intramuscularly with poliomyelitis virus and hyaluronidase, and with T. A. B. vaccine or pertussis vaccine into the contralateral limb. The virus was recovered from the sciatic nerve of the virus-inoculated limb between the 1st and the 10th day following inoculation. The virus could not be recovered from the sciatic nerve of the limbs inoculated with T. A. B. vaccine, but in 2 of 7 monkeys inoculated with pertussis vaccine, the virus could be isolated from the corresponding sciatic nerve on the 6th and the 7th day following inoculation. These findings seem to indicate the possibility of attracting the virus by centrifugal spread to a place of minor resistance as induced by the inoculation of pertussis vaccine. In one monkey, the intradermal inoculation of poliomyelitis virus together with alum-precipitated diphtheria toxoid resulted in a rapidly progressive and fatal quadriplegia. It is suggested, that pertussis vaccine and P. T., which produce some local damage possibly due to the high standard of bacteria of the former and to the aluminium phosphate present in the latter, may attract the virus present in muscle tissue remote from the site of the prophylactic inoculation, or may facilitate the neural spread of the virus when present at the site of the prophylactic inoculation.