Influenza Virus Subunit Vaccines: Immunogenicity and Lack of Toxicity for Rabbits of Ether- and Detergent-Disrupted Virus

Summary Three strains of influenza virus (SW, BEL, AS) were disrupted with ether or with sodium deoxycholate and inoculated into rabbits. The intact viruses were pyrogenic; the disrupted preparations were not. The disrupted viruses were immunogenic for rabbits. The ether-treated vaccines induced antihemagglutinin levels that were equal to those induced by the intact viruses. large doses of sodium deoxycholate-treated vaccines induced levels of anti-hemagglutinin comparable to those induced by the intact viruses but at low dosage the deoxycholate-treated material was less immunogenic. Sera prepared against disrupted virus did not differ significantly in avidity and neutralizing potency from sera prepared against intact virus. The antibodies induced in rabbits by the disrupted vaccines showed the same cross-reactions as those induced by the intact viruses. Vaccines produced by treatment with sodium dodecylsulfate were also nonpyrogenic, but induced lower anti-hemagglutinin titers in rabbits than sodium deoxycholate-disrupted viruses.