The amantadine-sensitivity of recombinant and parental influenza virus strains.

Several wild-type influenza A strains together with recombinants derived from these strains, were tested for sensitivity to amantadine using the in vitro techniques of inhibition in egg-bit culture and plaque reduction in MDCK cells. The results obtained were analysed with reference to the derivation of the recombinants. Susceptibility to amantadine was related to the gene coding for matrix protein, and these data are in agreement with previous reports of studies using other series of influenza viruses.