An Evaluation of the Test for Antihemagglutinin in the Diagnosis of Infections by the Mumps Virus

Abstract

Introduction. In 1945, Levens and Enders (1) observed that the amniotic and allantoic fluids of chick embryos infected with mumps virus agglutinated the erythrocytes of the hen. ¹ This agglutination was specifically inhibited by high dilutions of serum of man and the rhesus monkey convalescent from mumps. Human sera taken early in the disease and normal monkey sera in most instances inhibited hemaggalutination only in low dilutions. But with certain specimens of normal or “acute” serum inhibition did occur with fairly high dilutions. Accordingly, at that time we did not recommend this test for antihemagglutinin in the routine diagnosis of infections by mumps virus, although obviously it is less complicated than the complement fixation test which had earlier been shown to be useful for this purpose (2). Recent investigations have been undertaken directed toward overcoming the irregularities previously encountered in the test for antihemagglutinin.