Studies on the Prevention of Mumps

Abstract

Summary The results of over 1800 skin tests and over 1500 complement fixation tests have been analyzed in terms of past mumps infection, age of the individual and geographical area. Correlation between past known infection and positive complement fixation or skin tests was of the order of 70 to 80%. With the skin test it was somewhat higher in the adult than in individuals less than 18 years of age, whereas the reverse was noted with the complement fixation test. Neither a positive complement fixation reaction nor a positive skin response affords absolute assurance of resistance to mumps but the incidence of infection among such individuals was found to be less than 2%, whereas it was many times that in those giving negative reactions. Since discrepancies between the results of the 2 tests, when performed simultaneously, were not infrequent, it is obvious that both technics should be employed to attain maximal accuracy in determining the immune status of an individual.