The Relationship Between the Virus of Infectious Ectromelia of Mice and Vaccinia Virus

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Abstract
Summary: The virus of infectious ectromelia of mice gives rise to a haemagglutinin closely resembling that produced by vaccinia virus. Preparations of infected chorioallantois or mouse liver agglutinate fowl cells from a proportion of birds only, cells which are agglutinable by vaccinia preparations are agglutinable by ectromelia material, cells inagglutinable by one are also inagglutinable by the other. Neither virus acts on rat, rabbit, guinea pig, calf or human cells, but ectromelia virus preparations agglutinate mouse cells against which vaccinia preparations of equal or higher titre are inert. Ectromelia hemagglutinin is completely absorbable with “susceptible” fowl cells but not by “insusceptible” cells. The two types of cell produce equal small reductions in virus titre. This indicates that as is the case with vaccinia the virus itself is not the haemagglutinin. Sera produced by immunization of calves, rabbits, mice and men against one or other virus show specific inhibition of hemagglutination by both types of virus preparation, the titers being usually higher against the homologous type. Rabbits can be infected sometimes fatally by intravenous injection of ectromelia virus, survivors are solidly immune to intradermal infection with vaccinia virus. Mice inoculated intravenously with vaccinia virus develop antibody against both viruses and become resistant to at least 104 infective doses of ectromelia virus. These findings are discussed with reference to— The relationship of ectromelia virus to the mammalian pox viruses. The significance of hemagglutination as a possible index of species susceptibility to the viruses concerned, and a table of the types of virus hemagglutination so far described is presented.

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