A comparison of RK13, vervet monkey kidney and patas monkey kidney cell cultures for the isolation of rubella virus

Abstract

RK 13 and primary PMK and VMK cell cultures were compared for the isolation of RV by means of the simultaneous inoculation of original specimens and early passage material. RK 13 was found to be the most sensitive and reliable and provided a result for both isolation and neutralization in the shortest time. As the interpretation of CPE and the propagation of these cultures is sometimes difficult, the simultaneous use of a second system in which RV is easy to identify, e.g. VMK or PMK cell cultures, is recommended. Both PMK cell cultures and LLC-RK1 were suitable for isolating RV from clinical specimens. Preliminary studies with LLC-RK 1 indicate that it may provide an even more sensitive alternative to RK 13, but further studies employing clinical material require to be carried out before firm conclusions can be reached.