Alex J. Steigman

Evidence that Virus of Herpes Simplex Does Not Cause Vincent's Angina of the Tonsil.

Summary A study of 12 typical cases of Vincents tonsillar angina showed that none of the cases were caused by an underlying infection with the virus of Herpes Simplex.

Etiology of Clinical Paralytic Poliomyelitis

To the Editor:— The earliest printed reference to fatal clinical poliomyelitis due to a nonpoliovirus was inThe Journalin 1953 (Steigman, A. J.; Kokko, U. P.; and Silverberg, R. J.: Unusual Virus from Poliomyelitic Spinal Cord, [in Correspondence] 152 :1066 [July 11] 1953). Comments on the multiple viral etiology of clinical paralytic poliomyelitis were made in 1960 in an editorial inThe Journal(Multiple Causes of Paralytic Poliomyelitis, Editorial, 174 :175 [Sept. 10] 1960). The disturbing, inescapable conclusion is that severe and even lethal paralytic poliomyelitis may be due to other enteroviruses. The past and current extent of the problem is unknown, and the risks in the future a matter for conjecture without complacency. The Journalnow carries a valuable contribution on this subject from California (Magoffin, R. L.; Lennette, E. H.; Hollister, A. C.; and Schmidt, N. J.: Etiologic Study of Clinical Paralytic Poliomyelitis, 175 :269 [Jan. 28]

Excretion of Poliomyelitis Virus by Monkeys Used for Testing Material of Human Origin.

Summary Poliomyelitis virus was recovered from the colon contents of both rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys used in the routine testing of infectious human stools by means of nasal instillation, in addition to other routes of inoculation, when the interval between the last nasal instillation of infectious human stool and the first appearance of paralysis was 4 days or less. In none of 11 paralyzed rhesus monkeys in which this interval was from 5 to 18 days was virus found in the colon contents. The 4-day period following the last nasal instillation of infective human stools may be taken as the time required for elimination of virus swallowed by monkeys, when no local multiplication occurs. The present data indicate that monkeys, receiving human stool suspensions by the nasal or oral route, are a potential source of infection not only to their caretakers but also to other primates in the same animal quarters unless special precautions are taken to avoid fecal contamination. No evidence was obtained that poliomyelitis viruses of human origin can multiply in the alimentary tract of rhesus monkeys or be eliminated there by centrifugal spread from the central nervous system.