Adventitious viruses and smallpox vaccine.To the Editor: Recently, Murphy and Osburn (1) strongly argued for testing old smallpox vaccine stocks made in animal skin for adventitious ADVENTITIOUS, adventitius. From advenio; what comes incidentally; us adventitia bona, goods that, fall to a man otherwise than by inheritance; or adventitia dos, a dowry or portion given by some other friend beside the parent. infectious agents such as viruses, mycoplasmas Mycoplasmas The smallest prokaryotic microorganisms that are able to grow on cell-free artificial media. Their genome size is also among the smallest recorded in prokaryotes, about 5 × 108 to 109 daltons. , and eventually, prions. Their argument appears clearly justified after unexpected cases of myopericarditis occurred during recent campaigns of smallpox vaccinations in the United States (2). To the long list of bovine viruses cited in this paper, it seems necessary to add another, the pseudocowpox virus, a widespread parapoxvirus that may infect humans. During the 1960s, this virus was identified in vaccine lymph from a heifer at the Institut Pasteur, Paris (3). In humans, this virus is responsible for limited skin lesions, more frequently in immunocompromised immunocompromised /im·mu·no·com·pro·mised/ (-kom´pro-mizd) having the immune response attenuated by administration of immunosuppressive drugs, by irradiation, by malnutrition, or by certain disease processes (e.g., cancer). patients. Mainly farmers and butchers are affected. Pseudocowpox virus is easily differentiated from orthopoxviruses such as vaccinia virus by the virus's peculiar form on transmission electron microscopy “TEM” redirects here. For other uses, see TEM (disambiguation). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is an imaging technique whereby a beam of electrons is transmitted through a specimen, then an image is formed, magnified and directed to appear either scan, but polymerase chain reaction polymerase chain reaction (pŏl`ĭmərās') (PCR), laboratory process in which a particular DNA segment from a mixture of DNA chains is rapidly replicated, producing a large, readily analyzed sample of a piece of DNA; the process is is probably the best detection method (4). In fact, many other more hazardous viruses may be found in the oldest stocks of smallpox vaccine and deserve more attention than previously considered. Claude Chastel, Virus Laboratory, Brest, France References (1.) Murphy FA, Osburn BI. Adventitious agents in smallpox vaccine in strategic national stockpile The Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control is a national repository of antibiotics, chemical antidotes, antitoxins, life-support medications, IV administration, airway maintenance supplies, and medical/surgical items. . Emerg Infect Dis. 2005;11:1086-9. (2.) Arness MK, Eckart RE, Love SS, Atwood JE, Wells TS, Engler RJ, et al. Myopericarditis following smallpox vaccination. Am J Epidemiol. 2004;160:642-51. (3.) Pournaki R, Vieuchange J, Lepine P, Fasquelle R. Isolement d'un virus distinct du virus vaccinal vaccinal /vac·ci·nal/ (vak´si-n'l) 1. pertaining to vaccine or to vaccination. 2. having protective qualities when used by way of inoculation. vac·ci·nal adj. 1. au cours de passages d'une lymphe vaccinale de genisse. Ann Inst Pasteur. 1964;107:173-83. (4.) Inoshima Y, Morooka A, Sentsui H. Detection and diagnosis of parapoxvirus by the polymerase chain reaction. J Virol Methods. 2000;84:201-8. Address for correspondence: Claude Chastel, Laboratoire de Virologic, Faculte de Medecine, F-29 200, Brest, France; fax: 33-2-98-01-64-74; email:chastelc@aol.com |
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