Variations in egg white and egg yolk components of virus and rickettsial vaccines

Abstract

1. 1. Rabbit antisera to chicken egg white and to egg yolk demonstrated common antibody constituents by double diffusion precipitin studies in agar gel with the Ouchterlony technique. Because of impurities in the egg white fractions, the antigen common to egg white and egg yolk could not be definitely identified as ovalbumin and/or conalbumin. 2. 2. These antisera were employed in similar precipitin test procedures to detect qualitative egg white and egg yolk components of some virus and rickettsial vaccines of chick and duck embryo origin. 3. 3. A wide variation in the number and types of component egg white and egg yolk fractions was found to exist among the vaccines. 4. 4. It is suggested that one determinant of allergic reactivity for a vaccine requiring chick embryo culture in its preparation might be the variable presence of that particular protein fraction of egg white and/or yolk for which the recipient may possess clinical sensitivity.