Continuous Cobalt-60 Irradiation and Immunity to Influenza Virus

Abstract

A survey of the literature on the effects of irradiation on influenza virus growth shows marked differences in the recorded results. The reports may be divided into those showing no effect (1–4); enhanced growth of virus (5, 6); and diminished growth of virus (7, 8). Most recently, there has been evidence that irradiation is associated with increased susceptibility to infection with influenza virus (9). The majority of the work done in this area has been with short-term irradiation exposure. Some data on the effect of continuous exposure to small amounts of irradiation from cobalt sources have been mentioned in the literature. Nevertheless, a detailed study in this direction, particularly with reference to influenza infection, has not been recorded. We have investigated some aspects of the influence of continuous cobalt-60 irradiation on the course of influenza infection in mice. This report will deal with some of our findings. Materials and Methods