BACTERIOLOGICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL STUDIES IN FAMILIES WITH PNEUMOCOCCIC INFECTIONS: THE DEVELOPMENT OF TYPE-SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES IN HEALTHY CONTACT CARRIERS 12

Abstract

Bacteriological studies made on all the members of the household and on some other contacts in 5 families in which multiple cases of pneumococcus infection were observed revealed a high incidence of carriers of the type of pneumococcus responsible for the infection in the relatives. Serological studies of the carriers and non-carriers showed that homologous type-specific antibodies may develop in a large percentage of healthy contact carriers of disease-producing pneumococci.