Abstract
Conclusions
The experiments presented above show that complement-fixing antibodies can be demonstrated in the blood of rats immunized with formalized Lansing virus, in convalescent monkey serum, and in some convalescent human sera when concentrated Lansing virus from cotton rats is used as antigen. The results with rat sera are complicated by the presence of antibodies against components of normal brain and spinal cord in both immune and normal animals, but the evidence indicates that the primary reaction with immune sera is between antibody and virus. Immunization as a result of injection of formalized virus is, therefore, associated with the production of serologically detectable antibodies to active virus. The experiments with the convalescent monkey and human sera provide definite proof that positive complement fixation can be demonstrated when concentrated Lansing virus prepared as described 2 is used as the antigen. These latter results further support the importance of the Lansing virus or an antigenically related strain as one responsible for the human disease.
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