Experimental Street-Virus Rabies in White Mice. Studies on Passive Immunization. I.

Abstract

In a recent publication1 from our department it was reported that white mice could be afforded a certain degree of passive protection against intracerebral inoculations of rabies street virus if large amounts of antirabic serum were injected intraabdominally before the administration of virus. One experiment indicated that rabbit antirabic serum gave better protection than had previously been demonstrated for goat antiserum. The present report covers further evidence of the value of rabbit antirabic serum.Rabbits were immunized by weekly intramuscular injections of 5 cc. of a 5% fixed virus suspension in saline solution. Phenolized virus (1/2% phenol) was used for the first few injections; fresh virus was employed thereafter and immunization continued for at least 10 weeks. The serums of several rabbits were pooled, filtered and inactivated before use.Table I shows the protective value of rabbit antirabic serum when injected before intracerebral inoculations of street virus; three experiments are summariz...