ISOLATIONS OF ST. LOUIS ENCEPHALITIS VIRUS FROM POST-MORTEM TISSUES OF HUMAN CASES IN THE 1962 FLORIDA EPIDEMIC

Abstract

Coleman, P. H. (National Communicable Disease Center, Atlanta, Ga. 30333), A. L. Lewis, N. J. Schneider, and T. H. Work. Isolations of St. Louis encephalitis virus from post-mortem tissues of human cases in the 1962 Florida epidemic Amer. J. Epid. 1968, 87: 530–538.—During the epidemic of St. Louis encephalitis (SLE) in the Tampa Bay area of Florida in 1962, virus isolations were attempted in mice with 91 spinal fluids, 12 acute sera and 13 case specimens obtained at autopsy. No viruses were isolated from the spinal fluids or acute sera. Four isolates were obtained from post-mortem tissues; three from brain and one from spleen. Case histories are given for the four individuals who yielded virus and the isolation procedures are discussed. The four isolates were tested serologkally by hemagglutination, complement fixation, mouse neutralization and mouse protection tests to determine their relationship to various group B arboviruses including six known strains of SLE virus and 11 non-SLE group B arboviruses. Antigenically, the four isolates were shown to be SLE virus.