Parainfluenza virus upper respiratory tract infections at ...
Table 1. Virus Isolation and upper respiratory Infections at Amundsen-Scott (South Pole) Station during wlnterover 1978 Subject Isolation Period FEB MAR APR JUL AUG SEP NOV + + URI + +(1)URI 0 + +(3) + - + + + +(1) - + + + 0 0 + 0 0 0 - + 0 0 + +(1) + URI 0 0 +(1) 0 +(1) 0 0 - 0 0 + + 0 0 0 0 + - 0 - 0 + + 0 +(1) + 0 0 0 +UR1 +(1) - 0 0 0 +(1)URI +(1) 0 0 0 + 0 0 + + + 0 +(1)URI 0 + +(1) 0 - +(1)URI - 0 - 0 0 +(1) 0 + 0 0 0 0 - + 0 0 0 0 - + 0 + + 0 OURI 0 - 0 OURI 0 0 + 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
+ = hemadsorbing agent recovered (1) = parainfluenza virus type 1 identified (3) = parainfluenza virus type 3 identified 0 = no virus recovered - = no specimen collected URI = upper respiratory infection References Muchmore, H. G., A. J . Parkinson, E. N. Scott, L. V. Scott, and J . A. R. Miles. 1978. Respiratory virus infection late in isolation at the South Pole. Antarctic Journal of the United States, 13: 171-72. Parkinson, A. J . , H. G. Muchmore, and L. V. Scott. Persistence
of parainfluenza virus upper respiratory tract infections at South Pole Station during winter 1976. Antarctic Journal of the United States (this issue). Parkinson, A. J . , H. G. Muchmore, L. V. Scott, J . A. R. Miles, and E. C. Dick. 1976. Enhancement of virus isolations by utilizing tissue cultures in the field. Antarctic Journal of the United States, 11: 68-70.
Parainfluenza virus upper respiratory tract infections at McMurdo Station during austral summer 1975-76 ALAN J . PARKINSON, H. G. MUCHMORE, AND L. V.
Scorr
The Health Sciences Center Department of Microbiology and Immunology College of Medicine University of Oklahoma Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73190 186
J. A. R. MILES Department of Microbiology University of Otago Dunedin, New Zealand
Summer epidemics of upper respiratory tract infections (RTI's) of unknown viral etiology have frequently been reported in personnel working at McMurdo Station (Muchmore and Shurley, 1974). Tabulation of sick call records from the McMurdo Station dispensary covering October 1974 to December 1975 indicates that few RTI's were reported during the winter of 1975, but that there was an explosive outbreak of infections coincident with the arrival of station relief and support personnel (see figure).
Table 1. Viral isolates and serological responses of subjects with acute Rn's at McMurdo Station in period from 15 October to 15 November 1975(32 paired acute and convalescent sera were tested for viral antibody by hemmagglutination inhibition; fourfold differences In titer between the acute and convalescent serum specimen were considered significant) Viral Isolates Serologic Response (%) Virus type Number Parainfluenza type 1 5 50.0 (16/32) Parainfluenza type 3 3 25.0( 8/32) Rhinovirus (untyped) 2 not tested
CU CL
Oct Nov Dec Jon Feb Mar Apt May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 1974 1975
Tabulation of sick call records for respiratory tract infections (RTI's) among personnel visiting dispensary at McMurdo Station between October 1974 and December 1975. Incidence of disease expressed as percent of total station population.
Early attempts to identify the viral agent or agents responsible for these epidemics had been hindered by the distance from adequate laboratory facilities for cultivation of viral agents. During the 1975 austral summer, cell culture facilities were established at the Eklund Biological Center, McMurdo Station (Parkinson et al., 1976), which allowed the direct inoculation of specimens collected from subjects with RTI's into cell culture and the recovery of probable viral pathogens. As reported earlier (Parkinson et al., 1976), parainfluenza virus type I (five isolates), parainfluenza virus type 3 (three isolates), and two rhinovirus isolates were recovered from subjects with acute RTI's at McMurdo Station between 15 October and 15 November 1975. The rhinovirus isolates were made from specimens collected within the week following the winter fly-in (wINFLY). The presence of rhinovirus at McMurdo Station during WINFLY (September-early October) has since been reported by Dick et al. (1977). Using parainfluenza virus types 1 and 3 as antigens, we tested 32 paired acute and convalescent sera specimens collected from McMurdo Station subjects for antiviral antibody content by hemagglutination inhibition techniques. Rhinovirus was not used in this study because type-specific antisera were not available as control material. The serological responses of these 32 subjects are shown in the accompanying table. Serologic responses against parainfluenza virus type 1 accounted for 50 percent of the subjects tested. Fewer specific responses (25 percent) were detected using parainfluenza virus type 3 as the antigen. Because 37.5 percent-12
out of the 32—of the subjects with symptoms showed no serological response with either parainfluenza virus type I or 3, we cannot exclude the possibility that rhinovirus or some other viral agent may have played a role in this outbreak. It should be noted that rhinoviruses are the predominant causes of RTI's in U.S. communities during September each year. These infections are frequently followed, in October and November, by parainfluenza virus-related RTI's (Cooney, Fox, and Hall, 1975; Monto, 1973). Since these fall months in the United States occur at the same time as the antarctic spring, transportation of these infections by personnel traveling from the United States to McMurdo Station seems likely. The crowded conditions of long air travel experienced by personnel enroute to New Zealand and McMurdo Station would appear ideal for the initial spread and transmission of these viruses. Once established, infections would be maintained by the continuous flow of susceptible subjects to the station throughout the summer. This research has been supported by National Science Foundation grant DPP 72-05787 and funds from the United States Veterans Administration. References
Cooney, M. K., J . P. Fox, and C. E. Hall. 1975. The Seattle Virus watch: VI. Observations of infections with and illnesses due to parainfluenza, mumps and respiratory syncytial virus and Mycopiasma pneumoniae. American Journal of Epidemiology, 101: 432-551.
Dick, E. C., A. D. Mandel, D. M. Warshauer, S. C. Conklin, and R. S. Jerde. 1977. Respiratory virus transmission at McMurdo Station: Isolation of rhinoviruses for common colds during the winter fly-in period 1976. Antarctic Journal of the United States, 12(4): 2-3.
Monto, A. S. 1973. The Tecumseh study of respiratory illness: V. Patterns of infection with parainfluenza viruses. American Journal .of Epidemiology, 97: 338-48.
Muchmore, H. G., and J . T. Shurley. 1974. Microbiology and immunology of South Pole antigen deprivation. Antarctic Journal of the United States, 9(4): 119-20.
Parkinson, A. J . , H. G. Muchmore, L. V. Scott, J . A. R. Miles, and E. C. Dick. 1976. Enhancement of virus isolations by utilizing tissue cultures in the field. Antarctic Journal of the United States, 11(4): 68-70.
187
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
+ = hemadsorbing agent recovered (1) = parainfluenza virus type 1 identified (3) = parainfluenza virus type 3 identified 0 = no virus recovered - = no specimen collected URI = upper respiratory infection References Muchmore, H. G., A. J . Parkinson, E. N. Scott, L. V. Scott, and J . A. R. Miles. 1978. Respiratory virus infection late in isolation at the South Pole. Antarctic Journal of the United States, 13: 171-72. Parkinson, A. J . , H. G. Muchmore, and L. V. Scott. Persistence
of parainfluenza virus upper respiratory tract infections at South Pole Station during winter 1976. Antarctic Journal of the United States (this issue). Parkinson, A. J . , H. G. Muchmore, L. V. Scott, J . A. R. Miles, and E. C. Dick. 1976. Enhancement of virus isolations by utilizing tissue cultures in the field. Antarctic Journal of the United States, 11: 68-70.
Parainfluenza virus upper respiratory tract infections at McMurdo Station during austral summer 1975-76 ALAN J . PARKINSON, H. G. MUCHMORE, AND L. V.
Scorr
The Health Sciences Center Department of Microbiology and Immunology College of Medicine University of Oklahoma Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73190 186
J. A. R. MILES Department of Microbiology University of Otago Dunedin, New Zealand
Summer epidemics of upper respiratory tract infections (RTI's) of unknown viral etiology have frequently been reported in personnel working at McMurdo Station (Muchmore and Shurley, 1974). Tabulation of sick call records from the McMurdo Station dispensary covering October 1974 to December 1975 indicates that few RTI's were reported during the winter of 1975, but that there was an explosive outbreak of infections coincident with the arrival of station relief and support personnel (see figure).
Table 1. Viral isolates and serological responses of subjects with acute Rn's at McMurdo Station in period from 15 October to 15 November 1975(32 paired acute and convalescent sera were tested for viral antibody by hemmagglutination inhibition; fourfold differences In titer between the acute and convalescent serum specimen were considered significant) Viral Isolates Serologic Response (%) Virus type Number Parainfluenza type 1 5 50.0 (16/32) Parainfluenza type 3 3 25.0( 8/32) Rhinovirus (untyped) 2 not tested
CU CL
Oct Nov Dec Jon Feb Mar Apt May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 1974 1975
Tabulation of sick call records for respiratory tract infections (RTI's) among personnel visiting dispensary at McMurdo Station between October 1974 and December 1975. Incidence of disease expressed as percent of total station population.
Early attempts to identify the viral agent or agents responsible for these epidemics had been hindered by the distance from adequate laboratory facilities for cultivation of viral agents. During the 1975 austral summer, cell culture facilities were established at the Eklund Biological Center, McMurdo Station (Parkinson et al., 1976), which allowed the direct inoculation of specimens collected from subjects with RTI's into cell culture and the recovery of probable viral pathogens. As reported earlier (Parkinson et al., 1976), parainfluenza virus type I (five isolates), parainfluenza virus type 3 (three isolates), and two rhinovirus isolates were recovered from subjects with acute RTI's at McMurdo Station between 15 October and 15 November 1975. The rhinovirus isolates were made from specimens collected within the week following the winter fly-in (wINFLY). The presence of rhinovirus at McMurdo Station during WINFLY (September-early October) has since been reported by Dick et al. (1977). Using parainfluenza virus types 1 and 3 as antigens, we tested 32 paired acute and convalescent sera specimens collected from McMurdo Station subjects for antiviral antibody content by hemagglutination inhibition techniques. Rhinovirus was not used in this study because type-specific antisera were not available as control material. The serological responses of these 32 subjects are shown in the accompanying table. Serologic responses against parainfluenza virus type 1 accounted for 50 percent of the subjects tested. Fewer specific responses (25 percent) were detected using parainfluenza virus type 3 as the antigen. Because 37.5 percent-12
out of the 32—of the subjects with symptoms showed no serological response with either parainfluenza virus type I or 3, we cannot exclude the possibility that rhinovirus or some other viral agent may have played a role in this outbreak. It should be noted that rhinoviruses are the predominant causes of RTI's in U.S. communities during September each year. These infections are frequently followed, in October and November, by parainfluenza virus-related RTI's (Cooney, Fox, and Hall, 1975; Monto, 1973). Since these fall months in the United States occur at the same time as the antarctic spring, transportation of these infections by personnel traveling from the United States to McMurdo Station seems likely. The crowded conditions of long air travel experienced by personnel enroute to New Zealand and McMurdo Station would appear ideal for the initial spread and transmission of these viruses. Once established, infections would be maintained by the continuous flow of susceptible subjects to the station throughout the summer. This research has been supported by National Science Foundation grant DPP 72-05787 and funds from the United States Veterans Administration. References
Cooney, M. K., J . P. Fox, and C. E. Hall. 1975. The Seattle Virus watch: VI. Observations of infections with and illnesses due to parainfluenza, mumps and respiratory syncytial virus and Mycopiasma pneumoniae. American Journal of Epidemiology, 101: 432-551.
Dick, E. C., A. D. Mandel, D. M. Warshauer, S. C. Conklin, and R. S. Jerde. 1977. Respiratory virus transmission at McMurdo Station: Isolation of rhinoviruses for common colds during the winter fly-in period 1976. Antarctic Journal of the United States, 12(4): 2-3.
Monto, A. S. 1973. The Tecumseh study of respiratory illness: V. Patterns of infection with parainfluenza viruses. American Journal .of Epidemiology, 97: 338-48.
Muchmore, H. G., and J . T. Shurley. 1974. Microbiology and immunology of South Pole antigen deprivation. Antarctic Journal of the United States, 9(4): 119-20.
Parkinson, A. J . , H. G. Muchmore, L. V. Scott, J . A. R. Miles, and E. C. Dick. 1976. Enhancement of virus isolations by utilizing tissue cultures in the field. Antarctic Journal of the United States, 11(4): 68-70.
187
