Certain Bacteriostatic Agents Added to Sera Used in Diagnostic Tests for Neurotropic Virus Infections.

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Abstract
Experience with virus serol. tests on specimens contaminated with bacteria during collection or handling made it imperative to find some bacteriostatic agent which, when added to the sera, would not inactivate the viruses employed in the tests. Zephiran and merthiolate 1:10,000 and Na sulfathiazole 1:500 in normal rabbit serum had no virucidal effect upon Western equine and St. Louis encephalitis viruses as detd. through serial virus dilutions under the holding conditions and dilution of a standard neutralization test. Mercuric cyanide 1:10,000 and phenyl mercuric borate 1:50,000 in serum under closely comparable conditions did not affect either of the above viruses or the Lansing mouse-adapted poliomyeiltis virus. Phenyl mercuric borate 1:50,000 has been used over a period of one yr. in > 1,000 serum specimens which have been subjected to diagnostic tests. There has been no apparent interference. Many of these sera have been used repeatedly in neutralization tests against several neurotropic viruses and in exptl. in vitro tests including mumps complement-fixation tests. This agent has greatly reduced difficulties previously encountered due to contamination of sera during collection and routine handling. Phenyl mercuric borate is recommended for routine use as a bacteriostatic agent for serum specimens to be used in tests for the neurotropic viruses.

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