Effect of Temperature on the Growth Curves of Herpes Simplex Virus in Tissue Culture

Abstract

Since recurrent herpes simplex infections in man can be precipitated in 40 to 70% of the general population by elevation of the bodily temperature (1, 2), it seems likely that temperature has an important effect, either directly or indirectly, upon the host-herpes simplex virus relationship. In a previous paper (3) we have demonstrated that temperature exerts a significant influence on the amount of herpes simplex virus produced in infected tissue cultures. During a 3-day period of incubation infected cultures kept at 35°C produced large amounts of virus, cultures kept at 30 and 40°C produced intermediate amounts of virus and cultures kept at approximately 25°C and which were produced little or no virus could be made to elaborate increased amounts of virus by raising the temperature of incubation to 35°C. These experiments were done by adding a known amount of virus to cultures and titrating the amount of virus present after 3 days of incubation at the four different temperatures.