POLIOMYELITIS IN CANADIAN ESKIMOS: LABORATORY STUDIES. V. TYPE 1 AND TYPE 3 POLIOMYELITIS ANTIBODY LEVELS IN BAFFIN ISLAND ESKIMOS

Studies on the basic immunology of poliomyelitis in Canadian Eskimos have been continued. Some 87 sera collected from Eskimos at Pangnirtung, Baffin Island, have been examined for the presence of Type 1 and Type 3 poliomyelitis antibody by quantitative tests in tissue cultures. The same sera were previously examined for Type 2 antibody by quantitative tests in mice. The results of the three determinations are now presented together for comparison. These sera came from Eskimos aged 2 to 72 years of age. None of the Eskimos showed any evidence of paralysis. Examination of the medical records did not suggest that any paralytic disease had been present in this part of Baffin Island. Very few of the sera showed the presence of poliomyelitis antibody; thus, Type 1 antibody was demonstrated in the sera of 8%, Type 2 antibody in the sera of 9%, and Type 3 antibody in the sera of 14%. No significant number of Eskimos below the age of 45 years had acquired poliomyelitis antibody. The antibody titers mostly ranged between 10−1.0 and 10−2.0, and were significantly lower than the titers customarily found in recently paralyzed cases. These findings suggest that poliomyelitis infection occurred in Pangnirtung Eskimos many years before the date on which the samples were taken (1951). These results point to the worldwide prevalence of the three types of poliomyelitis virus.