Studies on the cultivation of influenza virus in vitro.

Studies have been carried out since 1959 at the Coonoor Influenza Centre to devise a method of cultivating influenza virus in vitro which would be suitable for large-scale virus production. The authors report the successful cultivation of the virus in tissue cultures of chorioallantoic membrane on glass wool. The method described may be used equally satisfactorily for culture in volumes ranging from 1.0 ml to 350 ml, and is as sensitive as cultivation in eggs for the titration of different strains of influenza virus and their neutralizing antibodies. Relatively pure virus for vaccine production and complement-fixing antigen for diagnostic purposes can be produced in large volumes with ease and economy.