Maintenance of primary African green monkey kidney (pAGMK) and Vero cells at room temperature (25°). A system for virus isolation in community practice

Primary AGMK cells and Vero cells were maintained at room temperature (25 °C) and their sensitivities tested using echovirus type 9, coxsackie B4 and B5, herpes simplex virus, vaccinia, influenza A2/Hong Kong, and adenovirus type 7. pAGMK maintained for 4 days at room temperature was found to be less sensitive to herpes simplex and coxsackie B4 whilst maintenance of Vero cells at room temperature did not affect the sensitivity. Susceptibility of these two cell cultures to prototype viruses indicated that pAGMK was more susceptible.pAGMK cells were held at room temperature both before and after inoculation with viruses and incubated at 37 °C. Cytopathic effect (CPE) was noticed in these cells earlier after switching them to 37 °C incubation than when refrigerated suspensions of the viruses were inoculated into fresh cultures that had not been subjected to room temperature incubation. The usefulness of such a procedure in field studies of virus infections is discussed.