IMMUNOLOGY OF THE PERUVIAN STRAINS OF LEPTOSPIRA ICTEROIDES

Abstract

Serum from yellow fever convalescents from Payta, Piura, and Morropon gave a positive Pfeiffer reaction with the strains of Leptospira icteroides isolated in Guayaquil and Merida. The serum also protected the guinea pigs from these strains in the majority of instances. The Pfeiffer reaction was complete with all recent convalescents (7 to 36 days) but slight or partial in some instances with serum derived from individuals who had had the attack of yellow fever 10 months previously. The virulence of the Morropon strains was found to be approximately the same as that of the Guayaquil or Merida strains. With one strain the minimum lethal dose for the guinea pig was less than 0.00001 cc. of a kidney emulsion from an infected guinea pig. Suitable quantities of the anti-icteroides serum administered to guinea pigs inoculated with 2,000 to 20,000 minimum lethal doses of infective material prevented the development of the infection, or a fatal outcome, according as the serum was given during the incubation period or after fever had appeared. The earlier the administration of the serum the smaller was the quantity needed; during the incubation period 0.0001 to 0.001 cc. was sufficient, during the febrile period 0.01 to 0.1 cc. was required to check the progress of the disease, and even at the time when jaundice had already appeared, the injection of 0.1 to 1 cc. saved three out of four animals inoculated with Strain 3 and one out of three inoculated with Strain 1. The native guinea pigs secured in Payta proved to be unusually refractory to infection with Leptospira icteroides as compared with normal guinea pigs recently imported from New York. Fresh rabbit serum is recommended for culture work with Leptospira icteroides.