Passive Immunization in Relation to Multiple Cases of Poliomyelitis in the Household

THE epidemiologic features of household exposure to poliomyelitis were at first ascertained by the clinical investigations of individual cases1 2 3 4 and easily identified population groups in epidemic areas.5 6 7 8 9 10 The data indicated that multiple clinical infections in the home were uncommon and, when present, presumably arose simultaneously from the same carrier source or from a member with a subclinical infection. These investigations were subsequently extended to camps, schools and institutions.11 12 13 In more recent years, general knowledge has been broadened by the use of laboratory methods, which confirmed the impressions derived from clinical reports and demonstrated that poliomyelitis in the household was accompanied . . .