Pharyngeal Isolations of Adenovirus 31 from a Family Population

During a 14-month period in 1965 and 1966, adenovirus type 31 was isolated from 26 pharyngeal swabs obtained on a routine schedule from children and adults during a study of respiratory viruses among members of a family population. Eighteen isolations were made in a four-day period, seven within the preceding five months, and the last, eight months earlier. A significant association between the isolation of adenovirus 31 and respiratory or gastrointestinal illnesses was not demonstrable. Limited tests demonstrated neutralizing antibody increases in a few paired sera of infected adults. The virus is antigenically related to adenoviruses 12 and 18 and is capable of inducing soft tissue tumors in mice.