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The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1943 Jun 1;77(6):545–556. doi: 10.1084/jem.77.6.545

THE DETECTION OF POLIOMYELITIS VIRUS IN FLIES COLLECTED DURING EPIDEMICS OF POLIOMYELITIS

II. CLINICAL CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH FLIES WERE COLLECTED

James D Trask 1, John R Paul 1
PMCID: PMC2135361  PMID: 19871303

Abstract

During the summer and fall of 1941, 19 samples of flies were collected in epidemic areas both during and after epidemics of poliomyelitis. Of 8 samples collected for the most part during the latter part of a local epidemic but within 10 days of the onset of a local case of poliomyelitis, 4 yielded the virus; whereas of 8 samples collected more than 10 days from the onset of the last local case, none yielded the virus. In 4 instances there was a potential (though not proven) source of virus (in the form of "exposed" human feces of recent origin) within a few yards or few feet of the site where fly collections were made. Collections of flies from 3 of these sites yielded the virus. No attempt is made in this paper to develop epidemiological implications from this finding.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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