Simple tests for the diagnosis of picornavirus epidemic conjunctivitis (acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis)

Abstract

Simple tests for the study of picornavirus epidemic conjunctivitis are described. The virus was successfully isolated in wells of microtitration plates containing HeLa cell suspension and the isolates were easily identifiable by neutralization in the micrometabolic inhibition test. For the estimation of antibody titre in patients' sera, the latter procedure was found to be as reliable as neutralization in tissue culture tubes. These micromethods would enable virus laboratories not equipped for tissue culture work to study this new ocular disease, which has been endemic in a number of countries since the pandemic outbreak of 1969-72 in Africa, Asia, and Europe (London).