Pathogenesis and autointerference in a virus disease of crabs.

The course of an infection apparently caused by a filterable virus of the blood of the shore crab. Carcinus maenas, has been experimentally studied in this host both at Roscoff, France. where it was originally found, and at Woods Hole, Mass., where the local species was also found susceptible. Although a portion of the infected animals die with the symptoms of inadequate blood clotting, recovery of this function occurred promptly in about two-thirds of the animals. Half of the animals that recovered this function did so within 4 to 6 days. Recovery was not accompanied by disappearance of the virus from the whole blood. In tests done as late as 40 days after recovery, virus was still present. Autointerference was demonstrated after acute infection. It was found in the serum of animals with manifest disease on all days tested and in whole blood of animals taken more than 2 days after the clotting defect appeared. It was not demonstrable within the whole blood within the first 2 days of disease. The role of this in the recovery phenomenon is discussed.