Exposure of the mucus membranes of the intenstinal or repiratory tracts to various viral antigens elicits immunological reactivity both at the local as well as in the systemic sites. The reactivity generated involves antibody as well as cell-mediated immune responses. Recent investigations have revealed that the outcome of the initial cell-virus interaction in the mucose leads to protection as seen in infections with certain viruses while in others it may play a role in the pathogenesis of disease. The information on the mechanism of and the factors influencing protection or pathogenesis in viral diseases acquired vis gastrointenstinal or repiratory tract will be reviewed in this chapter.
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Dhar et al. (1985) studied this question.