AN IMMUNOLOGICAL STUDY OF BACILLUS INFLUENZÆ

Abstract

Influenza bacilli isolated from various pathological processes in man differ widely in pathogenic power for animals, especially rabbits. While the cultures derived from the leptomeninges and blood, and rarely from the pneumonic lung are pathogenic, those generally derived from the respiratory tract exhibit little or no virulence for rabbits. The two types of cultures as indicated by virulence for animals do not differ in kind, but only in degree, in relation to the serological tests of agglutination, complement deviation, and opsonification. The two types of cultures do, however, differ with respect to their ability to undergo autolysis. While the virulent cultures autolyze almost completely, yielding a turbid supernatant fluid and little sediment, the non-virulent cultures give rise to an abundant sediment and a clear supernatant fluid. The non-virulent cultures incite far less antibody production in rabbits. Hence, rabbits inoculated with non-virulent strains yield sera possessing low antibody content. Conversely, rabbits inoculated with virulent strains yield sera possessing a higher content of antibody. In keeping with and possibly because of the low antibody content of the sera of rabbits inoculated with the non-pathogenic strains, the rabbits so treated are not, as a rule, protected against subsequent inoculation with virulent strains. Influenza bacilli therefore vary in pathogenic effect both for man and animals, but they are not distinguishable by means of serological reactions into different types. Apparently all influenza bacilli belong to one class or race irrespective of origin or virulence.