Poliomyelitis in Monkeys: Decreased Susceptibility after Avoidance Stress.

Eleven monkeys were subjected to avoidance stress for 24 hours followed immediately by intravenous inoculation with type I poliovirus. Twelve control monkeys not so stressed were similarly inoculated. Seven of 11 stressed animals survived the infection while only one of the controls lived and their average incubation period was significantly longer than the average for controls. The number of circulating lymphocytes decreased significantly in experimental animals during and immediately after exposure to stress.