PRELIMINARY COMMUNICATION ON THE SURVIVAL, THE SITES HARBORING VIRUS AND GENETIC STABILITY OF POLIOVIRUS IN COCKROACHES.

Abstract

Summary Sabin's attenuated strain of poliovirus type 3 persisted in cockroaches (Blaberus discoidalis) after experimental infection for as long as 51 days. No evidence was obtained indicating multiplication of the virus. Rather, the pattern was one of mechanical carriage of the virus with a gradual decline in titre. It was possible to recover virus only from the gastrointestinal tract of roaches dissected 27 days after infection but not from nerve trunk or other parts of the body of the roaches.