Treatment and prevention of acute respiratory virus infections in children with leukocytic interferon.

Children with respiratory virus infections and healthy contacts were given leukocytic interferon (LIF) as treatment and prophylaxis. The results emphasize the effectiveness of the treatment when LIF was given on the 1st or 2nd day after onset of illness. In these cases the course was mild, of short duration and without complications. In children who did not receive LIF, the clinical course was more severe, the disease lasted longer, and complications were not uncommon. Prophylactic instillation of LIF succeeded in preventing the disease in 85.2% of the contacts; those who contracted the infection had a mild disease with insignificant complications. No allergic or intoxication phenomena were observed in children receiving LIF.