The Behavior of Pox Viruses in the Respiratory Tract

Recovery from the transient pulmonary reaction which accompanies the nasal instillation of variola virus in mice was followed by a measurable protection against the homologous virus and also against vaccinia. Variola virus which regularly survived in the lung of normally susceptible mice through the 5th day was noticeably reduced in titer on the 3rd day in the lung of recovered animals, and usually eliminated by the 5th day. Vaccinia virus produced a less severe systemic reaction in recovered mice and its titer in the lung was significantly reduced on the 5th day. The residence of both viruses in the lung of recovered mice was attended by pathological changes, visible macroscopically.