Immunization of Mice with Inactivated Herpes Simplex Virus.

Abstract

Because of reports that herpes simplex virus from egg culture was ineffective as a vaccine for mice, the efficacy of inactivated virus from cell culture sources was investigated. Mice were immunized by combined intravenous and intraperitoneal injections of UV inactivated herpes simplex virus from rabbit kidney cell culture. The majority of mice so immunized withstood a 1000 LD50 herpes simplex virus intracerebral challenge and neutralizing antibody was demonstrable in their serum. Several factors are considered to explain the immunogenic descrepancy between herpes simplex virus from egg culture and from tissue culture sources. These factors include lower virus content of egg material, the effects of various inactivation methods and altered antigenic potency related to egg passage.