1 The Laboratory for Microbiologic and Immunologic Research, The Animal Care Facility, Harbor General Hospital, UCLA School of Medicine, 1000 W. Carson Street, Torrance, California 90509
Repeated intracutaneous inoculation of inactivated mumps virus skin test antigen failed to induce a primary neutralizing antibody response in five fully susceptible, seronegative rhesus monkeys. Eight equally susceptible pregnant monkeys developed a primary antibody response and delayed hypersensitivity following inoculation with live mumps virus. Six of the eight monkeys also demonstrated an anamnestic rise in antibody following the application of the mumps virus skin test.
One may conclude that the mumps virus skin test reagent contains sufficient antigenic mass to evoke only a secondary immunologic response.