Interaction of air pollution and hyperbaric oxygen on virus replication.

A study was undertaken to weigh the effects of air pollution and oxygen at high pressure on the susceptibility of mice to Coxsackievirus B1 infection. Animals exposed to air pollutants or oxygen at high pressure were found to contain higher amounts of recoverable virus than control animals. Animals exposed to both air pollutants and oxygen at high pressure were found to contain the greatest levels of recoverable virus. This same group of animals was also found to have hearts which were smaller than any other group. Animals maintained in an ambient atmosphere had higher levels of recoverable virus and smaller hearts than animals exposed to terpene vapors and hyperbaric oxygen. The results of this study suggest that terpene vapors may nullify the activity of oxygen at high pressure.