ABSTRACT
Humans are the only natural hosts of wild MV, although other primates can be infected. ere is no animal reservoir. Human or simian renal cell cultures are most widely used to isolate the virus from infected patients. Two types of CPE are produced by MV in tissue culture: multinucleated giant cells and spindle cell transformation [18]. Multinucleated giant cells, analogous to WarthinFinkelday cells seen in the reticuloendothelial system, appear in 6-10 days. Spindle cell transformation is produced by vaccine, rather than wild strains and is characterized by alteration of single cells into spindle or stellate shapes. Both forms of CPE may be present simultaneously in tissue culture. ey provide reliable evidence of viral multiplication and are the basis for procedures for viral isolation, assays of infectivity, and determinations of neutralizing antibodies.
