Isolation of the Virus of Lymphogranuloma Venereum from Twenty-Eight Patients; Relative Value of the Use of Chick Embryos and Mice

Abstract

A reliable technic is described for the isolation of the agent of lymphogranuloma venereum from human material by the combined use of mice and the yolk sac of chick embryos. Mice were more susceptible than chick embryos to initial growth of virus from human material. In addition, bacteria occasionally encountered in bubo pus and lymph nodes interfered with the isolation of virus in chick embryos but not in mice. Identification of the virus of lymphogranuloma venereum was based principally on tissue tropisms and susceptibility to sulfonamide therapy. With the use of the technic described, the virus was recovered from 28 of 33 patients tested.