THE introduction of organ cultures of human ciliated epithelium has increased the proportion of cases of acute respiratory infection in which a virological diagnosis can be made (Higgins, 1966; Tyrrell and Bynoe, 1966). The improved isolation rates resulting from the use of this technique were, however, mainly due to an increased efficiency in the isolation of rhinoviruses.

SUMMARYAll respiratory illnesses which were reported to the medical officers between September 1966 and December 1967 on a Royal Air Force station of 350 men were studied virologically.Three periods of increased respiratory infections were observed: two occurred in the autumn, one in each year, and the third in the winter during January and February. The autumnal outbreaks were associated mainly with rhinovirus infections, and high isolation rates (82.1, 65-9 00) were achieved at these times. Few of the illnesses during the winter outbreak could be diagnosed in the laboratory, and no evidence was found of infection with 'coronaviruses'.Despite the entrance of 30 fresh recruits direct from civilian life every 5 weeks, the respiratory infections encountered on the station were very similar to those in the local population and were not predominantly infections with adenoviruses, Coevirus, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae, as previously reported from larger military recruit centres.