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ISOLATION OF POLIOMYELITIS VIRUS FROM THE NASOPHARYNX

J R Paul1, J D Trask, L T Webster

  • 1Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, and the Laboratories of The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, New York.

The Journal of Experimental Medicine
|October 30, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Poliomyelitis virus was successfully isolated from the nasopharynx of a single mild illness case using three methods. This study highlights an effective method for isolating poliovirus from throat washings preserved in glycerin.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Poliomyelitis remains a significant public health concern, necessitating effective diagnostic methods.
  • Understanding poliovirus shedding and detection in non-paralytic cases is crucial for transmission control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report the successful isolation of poliovirus from a nasopharyngeal sample in a case of suspected abortive poliomyelitis.
  • To evaluate the efficiency of different methods for poliovirus detection in clinical specimens.
  • To assess the infectivity of poliovirus isolates from mild cases in non-human primates.

Main Methods:

  • Poliovirus isolation from nasopharyngeal swabs using three distinct laboratory techniques.
  • Virus detection in multiple suspected cases and their contacts.
  • Inoculation of primate models with clinical isolates to determine infectivity.

Main Results:

  • Poliovirus was successfully recovered from the nasopharynx of one individual with mild illness using three methods.
  • Virus was not detected in twenty-six other suspected cases or fourteen contacts.
  • The isolate from the mild case demonstrated high infectivity in monkeys, exceeding that of many isolates from fatal cases.

Conclusions:

  • Nasopharyngeal swabbing can be an effective method for poliovirus detection, even in mild, non-paralytic cases.
  • Glycerin preservation of throat washing sediment proved efficient for poliovirus isolation for at least 101 days.
  • Further research is needed to understand the high infectivity of isolates from mild poliomyelitis cases.

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