INTERFERENCE BETWEEN VIRUSES IN TISSUE CULTURE

The influence of one virus on the growth of another in tissue culture was investigated. The 17DD High strain of yellow fever virus was found capable of completely suppressing the growth of both the Asibi strain of the same virus and of the heterologous West Nile virus, even when these were added to the cultures in large amounts. The 17DD High strain of yellow fever virus and the West Nile virus produced either partial or complete suppression of growth of the Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus, depending upon the quantity of the latter inoculated into the cultures. Owing to lack of methods for the detection of interference except in a single direction, reciprocal interference with these viruses could not be investigated. The 17DD High strain of yellow fever virus and the West Nile virus were able to suppress completely, or almost completely, the growth of influenza A virus added to the infected cultures in maximal amounts. Interference in the reverse direction, even with the use of small amounts of the neurotropic viruses, was not demonstrable. Cultures infected with the 17DD High strain of yellow fever virus were examined for the presence of neutralizing antibodies and non-specific antiviral substances; neither was found present.