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Characteristics of a Psittacosis Viral Agent Isolated from a Turkey.

1953; SAGE Publishing; Volume: 83; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3181/00379727-83-20277

1535-3702

K. F. Meyer, B. Eddie,

Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology

It has been demonstrated that the psittacosis (ornithosis) viral agent isolated from a turkey is antigenically specific. The Louisiana human, the egret and the turkey strain have in common an endotoxic component probably responsible for their high virulence for man and for their broad infection spectrum. Epidemiologic experience has proven such strains to be the cause of serious outbreaks of pneumonitis in inhabitants of the Louisiana bayou country (Olson and Larson (5)), in poultry dressers and in laboratory workers. Until other strains isolated from turkeys have been carefully compared with other psittacosis viral agents from southeastern United States it is premature to conclude that turkeys are the sole hosts of ornithosis agents of virulence greater than that of strains found in pigeons, ducks, chickens and even psittacine birds. Finally, there is no urgency to burden the unfortunate classification of the psittacosis-lymphogranuloma venereum group with a new species when the technic of neutralization of viral activity merely suggests a specific serotype.