Effects of Heat on the Sensitizing and Shocking Properties of Hemophilus Pertussis

Abstract

Heating at 80° for 30 min reduces the histamine-sensitizing property and destroys the anaphylactic and pertussis-sensitizing properties of Hemophilus pertussis. However, temperatures of 80° or 100°C fail to destroy the ability of pertussis vaccine to kill mice previously sensitized with unheated vaccine. It is suggested that the sensitivity of pertussis-inoculated mice to subsequent injections of pertussis may be an example of sensitivity to an endotoxin-like material rather than an example of an antigen-antibody reaction.