Appearance and Persistence in Rabbits' Blood of Rabicidal Antibodies Produced by Various Methods of Anti-Rabies Immunisation
Authors: Stuart G. , Krikorian K. S. 
Published: May 2009

A. Results following the subcutaneous inoculation of 1400 grm. rabbits with a 2 per cent. suspension of living fixed virus in a dosage of 5 c.c. daily on 14 consecutive days (1·4 grm.):(1) Fresh living fixed virus introduced into rabbits subcutaneously produces in the sera of these animals so high a degree of rabicidal power that one unit volume of undiluted serum is capable of neutralising, when antibody formation is at a maximum, 16 unit volumes of a 1:100 suspension of freshfixed virus inn.s.s.(2) Rabicidal properties in the serum are demonstrable 18 days after the commencement of treatment, one unit volume of serum then neutralising one volume of a 1:100f.v.suspension inn.s.s.(3) Rabicidal antibody content reaches a maximum between 50 and 60 days after completion of treatment, and thereafter diminishes somewhat gradually.(4) Immune sera retain their rabicidal properties for a period extending over 222 days, viz. from the 4th to the 226th day after completion of treatment.B. Results following the subcutaneous inoculation of 1400 grm. rabbits with a 2 per cent. suspension of killed carbolised-fixed virus in a dosage of 5 c.c. daily on 14 consecutive days (1·4 grm.):(1) Killed carbolised virus administered to rabbits subcutaneously produces a very considerable degree of rabicidal power. The maximum reached, however, falls much short of that attained by immunisation with fresh-fixed virus and is only one-third of that following the use of etherised vaccine, one unit volume of serum neutralising 8 unit volumes of a 1:100f.v.suspension inn.s.s.(2) Rabicidal properties in the serum are demonstrable 18 days after the commencement of treatment, one unit volume of serum neutralising one unit volume of a 1:100f.v.suspension inn.s.s.(3) Rabicidal antibody content reaches a maximum some 50–60 days after completion of treatment, and thereafter subsides fairly rapidly.(4) Sera of rabbits immunised with carbolised-fixed virus retain their rabicidal properties for a period of 131 days, viz. from the 4th to the 135th day after completion of treatment.C. Results following the subcutaneous inoculation of 1400 grm. rabbits with a 2 per cent. suspension of killed etherised virus in a dosage of 5 c.c. daily on 14 consecutive days (1·4 grm.):(1) Killed etherised virus introduced into rabbits subcutaneously produces in these animals' sera such an extraordinary degree of rabicidal power that, when antibody formation has reached a maximum, one unit volume of undiluted serum is capable of neutralising as many as 24 volumes of a 1:100f.v.suspension inn.s.s.(2) Rabicidal properties in the serum are demonstrable on the last day of treatment (14 days after commencement), one unit volume of serum neutralising one unit volume of a 1:100f.v.suspension inn.s.s.(3) Rabicidal antibody content reaches a maximum between 50 and 60 days after completion of treatment, and thereafter diminishes fairly gradually.(4) Sera of rabbits immunised with etherised-fixed virus retain their rabicidal properties for a period of 226 days, viz. from the 14th to the 240th day after commencement of treatment.