Prevention of murine rotavirus infection with chicken egg yolk immunoglobulins.

Passive protection of infant mice against murine rotavirus was achieved with use of immunoglobulins from the eggs of chickens. Immunoglobulins were obtained by vaccinating hens with simian rotavirus, collecting the eggs after a high level of immunoglobulins was reached in the hen's serum, and isolating the water-soluble fraction from these eggs. The water-soluble fraction was then given twice daily to three-day-old mice to protect them from infection with murine rotavirus. The protection was found to decrease the infection rate from 90% to 15% with use of a standard dose of virus.