50 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 134 
Experimental vectors ——Blattella germanica and Periplaneta ameri- 
cana (Findlay and Howard, 1951): A suspension of mouse brain 
infected with this virus was injected into the hemocoeles of the cock- 
roaches. After 72 hours and 120 hours, virus was detected in tritu- 
rated bodies of P. americana, but not of B. germanica, up to 8 days 
after the viral meal. 
Four unspecified strains 
Natural vectors.—Blattella germanica (see below), Periplaneta 
americana (see below), and Supella supellectiliwm, U.S.A. (Syverton 
et al., 1952): Four strains of poliomyelitis virus were isolated from 
four lots of cockroaches captured on the premises of paralytic polio- 
myelitis patients from two States. The premises were representative 
of good and poor sanitary environments. 
One lot of Blattella (identified to genus) from Pharr, Tex., may 
have included B. vaga as well as B. germanica, as both species are now 
known to be found there (R. P. Dow, p.c.). Of the two, B. germanica 
is the species most likely to be found in houses, but B. vaga, usually 
a field cockroach, may invade houses in great numbers during dry 
seasons (Flock, 1941). The specimens of one lot of Periplaneta 
caught in Pharr, Tex., although reported as P. americana (Syverton 
et al., 1952), may have included P. brunnea as well (Dow, 1955). 
COXSACKIE VIRUSES 
Type 4, subgroup A 
Disease —The Coxsackie or “C” viruses are responsible for human 
diseases diagnosed clinically as nonparalytic poliomyelitis, “summer 
grippe,” aseptic meningitis, epidemic myalgia, pleurodynia, and, prob- 
ably, Bornholm disease (Fischer and Syverton, 195Ia). 
Experimental vectors—Periplaneta americana, U.S.A. (Fischer 
and Syverton, 1951a): After consuming a single meal containing 
this virus, the cockroaches excreted daily, over a period of 15 days, 
sufficient virus to paralyze and kill test mice. 
MOUSE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS VIRUS 
GD VII strain 
Experimental vectors——Periplaneta americana, U.S.A. (Syverton 
and Fischer, 1950): The insects were fed single meals containing 
this virus. Over a period of 7 days, sufficient virus was present daily 
in the cockroaches’ feces to paralyze and kill test mice. 
