Poliomyelitis: I. Production of Antiviral Serums by Inoculation of Goats and Sheep with the Virus of Poliomyelitis

Abstract

I. Immunization of 2 goats and a sheep with poliomyelitic virus over a period of years resulted in development of antiviral substances capable of protecting monkeys against infection, both when tested by the different methods of in vitro neutralization and when used therapeutically or as a prophylactic, in a certain number of instances. II. In 5 treatment experiments on 79 monkeys, the virus was injected intracranially in 2 and in 3 intranasally. In monkeys in the preparalytic stage the % of recovery from experimental poliomyelitis was greater when serum from convalescent animals was given intramuscularly than when administered by the combined intrathecal and intravenous methods. Paralysis, however, was rarely prevented and, with 1 exception, recovery was accompanied by varying degrees of atrophy of affected muscles. Mortality was 100% when treatment was given after onset of paralysis. Repeated injections of serum were no more effective than a single dose.