[Use of a cocultivation method for detecting cytomegalovirus contamination of cell cultures of simian origin].

At present, nonanthropoid primates are widely used as sources of cell cultures for manufacture of live viral vaccines. Simian cell cultures, particularly kidney cell cultures are also known to be frequently contaminated with cytomegaloviruses. The isolation of the latter is rather difficult due to the late appearance of the cytopathic effect in cell cultures of natural hosts. In the present study, the sensitivity of 4 methods virus isolation from the test cells was compared: the method of long-term cultivation of cells; the method of long-term cultivation with one subpassage of the cells; the method of cocultivation of the test cells by mixing with sensitive cells; and the method of co-cultivation by overlaying the test cells on an incomplete monolayer of sensitive cells. The latter method shortened the observation period and yielded a higher percentage of isolation of contaminating viruses from African green monkey kidney cell cultures. This method is supposed to be used in future for the detection of viral contamination of African group monkey kidney cell cultures utilized in manufacture of live viral vaccines.