The Use of a Portable Tissue Culture Laboratory in a Field Study of Tropical Poliomyelitis

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Abstract
The first epidemic of poliomyelitis in British Guiana occurred in 1957. A study of this outbreak has shown that such epidemics in tropical areas can be investigated by means of a "portable virus laboratory." The use of tissue cultures which can be handled under field conditions allowed viruses to be isolated and typed within a few days. This was of value in establishing two types of poliovirus as etiologic agents, and in suggesting that some of the reported cases might be the result of infection with enteroviruses other than poliovirus. With portable plastic panels and dropping pipettes, complement-fixation tests were set up for performing antibody determinations overnight on diagnosed and suspected cases of the disease. The virologic and serologic tests were of immediate value to local public health officials in establishing poliovirus infection, or by offering no confirmation of the diagnosis of poliomyelitis.