Sedimentation of Poliomyelitis Virus in the Sharples Centrifuge

Abstract

The Sharples centrifuge, readily available and easily run, has proven to be capable of sedimenting poliomyelitis virus from suspensions of infected central nervous system tissue, from stool suspensions and from naturally infected sewage. As a result such materials are concentrated and partially purified so that they are suitable for testing by intracerebral inoculation. Of six suspensions of stool samples from paralytic patients five yielded positive results after concentration of virus in the Sharples centrifuge. In three out of four samples no additional virus could be found in the Sharples supernate when the sensitive ultracentrifugal method was applied. Two of three samples of naturally infective sewage after similar treatment in the Sharples centrifuge produced paralysis in monkeys. One of the latter samples yielded a negative test by the ammonium sulfate precipitation method. One sample, negative after Sharples treatment, produced mild (non-paralytic) poliomyelitis in a monkey after concentration by ammonium sulfate.