An Unidentified Pleuropneumonialike Organism Isolated During Passages in Chick Embryos

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Abstract
An organism, pleuropneumonia-like in its characteristics, was isolated during passages of the primary atypical pneumonia virus in chick embryos. This agent was shown to be unrelated to the primary atypical pneumonia virus and was considered to be a contaminant. Characteristic pleuropneumonia-like growth occurs in 10% horse serum beef heart hormone infusion broth and on horse serum agar plates. Hemoagglutination occurs with cultures of the organism. This agglutination is specifically inhibited with homologous hyperimmune rabbit sera as well as with a large % of sera from the hens at the hatchery which furnished the eggs from which the organism was isolated. The organism elaborates a substance which causes edematous pulmonary consolidation and death in cotton rats by intranasal instillation. This poison can be separated from the organism by Seitz filtration of broth cultures or suspensions of chick embryo material. It is not neutralized with homologous hyperimmune rabbit serum, and it is heat-stable.[long dash]Authors.