Evening star., 1952-07-30
Susceptibility to Polio
Possibly Is Inherited
Foundation Tells Of Tests
With Severe Infections
By Thomos R. Henry


There is strong possibility Of in
herited susceptibility in Gripping polio.
It is well known that infection with
this virus Is quite common, Relatively
few, however. are severely Ill, are Grip
pied, or even know they have had the
disease. So there has been a hypothesis
for some time that the severely affected
had some special weakness, either hered-
itary or otherwise.
The inheritance angle has been tested
with highly suggestive results. according
to statement of the National Founda-
ton for Infantile Paralysis in the
Journal Of Heredity, published here. The
strongest previous evidence was a find-
ing Of blood relationship in all 20 cases
Of crippling polio over 50-year period
in remote district in West Virginia.
Tests Made Among Twins.
In study sponsored by the founla-
tion. occurrence Of the Gripping form Of
the disease was tested in ordinary twins
no more alike than are members OF
the same family group who are not twins
and identical twins whose heredity is
identical.
There were IA identical twins and 80
others. Five pairs of the former de-
veloped the Gripping form Of the dis
ease. It occurred in only two pairs Of
the latter This indicates, according to
the report, "a measurable genetic in
fluence." The suggestion is, it is ex-
planned, that there is so-called "re-
cessive gene'' fairly widely distributed
IN the population. Since the direct par
ents of none of the polio victims had
suffered from the disease it can hardly
be a rare gene.
This recesSive gene, according to the
report, apparently is the thing that kicks
over the balance in cases where there is
severe polio infection. It cannot be the
major factor. however, since the condi-
ton also occurred among the twins of
different hereditary constitution.
A hitherto unknown virus, possibly
related to the family Of inf1nitesimally
minute organisms responsible for parrot
fever and a group of pneumonia like
diseases through the animal kingdom.
has just been reported to the American
Association for the Advancement Of
Science here.
It was found by DR.. D. c. McKercher
Of the University of California in the
lungs of sheep that had died of pneu-
monia. When it was placed in the noses
OF mice these animals developed fatal
pneumonia-lik attacks. Material OBJ
tanned from the mouse lungs proved fatal
to embryonic chick eggs, and with ma
terial from the yolks of these eggs q ma
terial was prepared by which the dis
ease could be passed back to both mice
and sheep.
Three kittens were inoculated with
the material. but there was no effect.
This was done to determine If the
virus was identical with that of psit-
tacosis-like malady which affects only
felines. It was thought that it may
have been modified to adapt itself to
sheep. The test proved clearly this was
not the case. 49,. g..
Follows Curious Course.
In sheep the malady followed :
curious course. After injection the tenn
perature of the animals rose rapidly,
for time but dropped to the normal =
level within 48 hours. There it re-
NAMED for the next six days. Then q
AeNcA WdS ASCOI0SO WHICH, was CA8raC.
terized by intermittent peaks at in
creasingly frequent intervals and of
progressively greater magnitude.
Another virus which causes abortion =.
of ewes recently has been reported from
Scotland. It is undoubtedly related to
the organism found in California. The
two. however, cause quite different ef-
fects. The sheep abortion virus does
not produce anything like pneumonia.
1t seems highly improbable that the
California virus is capable of injecting
humans. but all new members of the
virus group necessarily are regarded
with great suspicion. Many, as in the
case of parrot fever, have shown the
ability to bridge the gap between ami
NAL families.