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Particle Agglutination Method for Poliovirus Identification
07:06

Particle Agglutination Method for Poliovirus Identification

Published on: April 20, 2011

OCCURRENCE OF POLIOMYELITIS VIRUS IN AUTOPSIES, PATIENTS, AND CONTACTS

J F Kessel1, F J Moore, F D Stimpert

  • 1Department of Bacteriology, School of Medicine, University of Southern California, and the Department of Pathology, Los Angeles County Hospital, Los Angeles.

The Journal of Experimental Medicine
|October 30, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Poliomyelitis virus was detected in various autopsy tissues, including spinal cords and tonsils, and in stools from patients and contacts. Virus shedding decreased over time in positive cases.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Poliomyelitis virus is a significant public health concern.
  • Understanding virus shedding patterns is crucial for disease control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and distribution of poliomyelitis virus in various tissues and biological samples.
  • To determine the prevalence of virus shedding in patients and contacts.
  • To analyze factors influencing virus detection, such as age and sample type.

Main Methods:

  • Poliomyelitis virus detection in autopsy tissues (spinal cords, olfactory bulbs, tonsil-adenoid tissue, colon contents) and stool samples from patients and contacts.
  • Analysis of virus recovery rates based on sample type, patient demographics (age, sex), and clinical status (paralysis).

Main Results:

  • Poliomyelitis virus was recovered from 50% of spinal cords, 50% of tonsil-adenoid tissue, and 26% of colon contents in autopsies.
  • Virus was detected in 20% of patient stools and 5% of contact stools.
  • Higher virus detection rates were observed in younger individuals (<16 years) in both stool (40%) and spinal cord (71%) samples.
  • Virus shedding decreased over time, with repeat stools from positive cases being negative after one month.

Conclusions:

  • Poliomyelitis virus can be present in multiple tissues post-mortem.
  • Age is a significant factor in virus shedding, with younger individuals showing higher rates.
  • Virus shedding is transient, emphasizing the importance of timely detection and intervention.

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