The influence of bacillary dysentery on the efficiency of oral poliovaccine in Egypt.

The rate of poliovirus excretion was found to be 64.6% in a group of 108 normal children and 11.95% in 184 diarrheal children. Diarrhea was due to Shigella in 70% of cases. This drew our attention to the presence of an etiologic relationship between the two findings, which may have a direct effect on the low efficiency of oral poliovaccine in our Country. Effect of Shigella infection on the take of oral poliovaccine was investigated in 14 normal and 10 children having acute diarrhea due to Shigella. Vaccine virus excretion was detected in 64.2% of normal children and only in 10% of diarrheal children. In vitro studies were done to determine the effect of killed Shigella suspensions or their endotoxin on the replication of poliovirus in tissue culture. Reduction of virus titre from 1-3 logs in the presence of killed Shigella or its endotoxin was observed. The sites of action and interfering factor (s) are discussed.