Virological investigations were carried out on 4 151 patients with respiratory disease hospitalized between May 1966 and April 1972. The groups examined were Black and White children and Black miners. Influenza viruses were more common among malnourished Black children and tended to cause more severe disease. This was also true of adenovirus and Herpesvirus hominis type 1 infections. Adenoviruses appear to be secondary invaders, frequently after a measles or influenza attack. A generalized epidemic of adenovirus type 7 occurred in 1967, the longest, coldest and most humid winter during the survey. The season of peak occurrence for respiratory syncytial (RS) virus is autumn, not winter as found elsewhere. The parainfluenza viruses differ from each other, types 1 and 2 being commoner in older children (12--48 months), mainly causing laryngotracheobronchitis (LTB), whereas type 3 is commoner in younger children (0--23 months), mainly causing pneumonia. The miners showed a preponderance of influenza A infections. The miners' origin from remote villages and high turnover rate create a situation where a given strain will persist at a moderate level for long periods, unlike in the general population where an outbreak lasts for only about 6--8 weeks. As opposed to other closed communities, adenovirus infections were rare. The reason for this is obscure.
Thirty-four patients with carcinoma of the ovary were compared with controls matched for age, sex and racial origin. Previous mumps infection was determined by taking a history from the patient, by complement fixation test and by estimating neutralizing antibody titre. No significant differences between the two groups were found for any of the three methods used to estimate previous exposure to mumps virus. Therefore this study did not confirm previous hypotheses that mumps infection confers a significant degree of protection against the development of ovarian cancer. A relatively small proportion of cases could possibly be due to lack of such protection, but in this study not more than 30% at the 5% fiducial limit.
SUMMARY Herpesvirus hominis antibodies were measured by a kine tic neutralisation test. Among Black patients in the Johannesburg area there is a high incidence of carcinoma of the cervi;, and H. hominis type 2 infection. A correla tion exists between carcinomas of the cervix on the one hand and antibodies to H. hominis type 2 on the other. In addition, patients with keratinising tumours were more promiscuous (mean of 2,9 consorts each) and had more venereal disease (81 % positive fluorescent treponemal antibody tests) than those with non-keratinising tumours mean of 2,1 consorts and 52% positive FTAs). The latter had a poorer antibody response (mean 1,9 times lower than matched controls). It [s c;ear that more specific differentiation between the Herpesvirus types is needed before firm conclusions can be reached. These findings confirm those found by other workers elsewhere but suggest in addition that differen tiation into tumour types is needed to separate tumours of different aetiological origin.
Influenza C virus was intranasally administered to volunteers; most were infected and nine developed symptoms of common cold. Increasing titres of serum haemagglutination-inhibiting antibody and complement-fixing antibody were detected. Virus neutralizing activity in nasal secretion was not correlated with either resistance to infection or the occurrence of overt illness. Interferon was detected in the nasal secretions of some subjects.
