Delayed hypersensitivity to myxoviruses and myxovirus vaccines in the guinea pig.

Influenza, mumps and measles viruses were examined for their ability to induce in guinea pigs homologous and cross-reactive delayed hypersensitivity. A majority of the animals skin tested with homologous and a portion of the animals skin tested with heterologous viruses and vaccines developed positive reactions. Findings with the heterologous preparations suggest that the observed cross-reactive hypersensitivity might be due to shared antigens of viral or substrate origin in the influenza, mumps and measles preparations. The present findings in guinea pigs suggest that the adverse effects, attributed in whole or in part to induced hypersensitivity, observed in man following injection of killed influenza, mumps and measles vaccines could be due to cross-reactive delayed hypersensitivity resulting from the use of these preparations.