The growth of vaccinia virus in the chorio-allantois of the developing chick embryo and the production of complement-fixing antigen and haemagglutinin

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Abstract
1. Elementary body suspensions of vaccinia virus placed on the chorio-allantoic membrane of the developing chick embryo showed immediately an enhanced infectivity which may amount to a several-fold increase in titre.2. In studying the growth curve of vaccinia virus in the chorio-allantois the distribution of virus between the liquid and the membrane had to be taken into account.3. Some virus disappeared after inoculation, but this did not necessarily indicate a non-infective phase in a growth cycle.4. Virus began to increase in 4–5 hr. and proceeded without stepwise increments, reaching a maximum in about 36 hr.5. Haemagglutinin and complement-fixing ‘soluble’ antigen were formed during the growth of virus, and the titre of each was directly related to the amount of virus. They were detectable when the titre of virus reached respectively 106.5–10.70and 105.5–106.0pocks per ml.6. Haemagglutinin may have been acting as a complement-fixing antigen.7. Neither haemagglutination nor complement-fixation provided evidence for the occurrence of a non-infective phase of virus as part of a growth cycle.