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BART ROMBAUT AN. R. ACAD. NAC. FARM.
dramatically in both biology and history. The vaccinia virus, used
in the smallpox vaccine is not directly derived from a wild virus.
There is no way it can mutate back into a pathogenic form and
cause an outbreak. OPV, on the other hand, contains three attenuated
viruses and can reverse into a wild-type virus. OPV can induce
vaccine-associated infections (discussed earlier). That is the reason
that as of January 1, 2000, IPV is exclusively used in the U.S.A. for
routine childhood poliovaccination. This decision was taken to
eliminate the risk for vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis.
However, using IPV is also a problem: IPV would not provide the
same type of immunity as OPV; individuals vaccinated in this way
would still be able to act as carriers (no gut immunity). So, if we are
willing to cease vaccination, only a combination of an IPV/OPV
protocol would be advisible in the «polio endgame».
However, is cessation of immunization a good idea? What about
biological terrorism? As a terrorist weapon, poliovirus is nearly ideal:
it is highly contagious, easily released into food and water supplies,
and virtually impossible to detect until the damage has already been
done.
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(5) GLE, C. R. & WICKNER, R. B., eds. (2000): Virus taxonomy: 7th report of the
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ORENT, W. (2000): Sciences - New York 40: 23-31.
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(9) KOCH, F. & KOCH, G., eds. (1985): The molecular biology of poliovirus. Sprin-
(10) ger-Verlag, Wien – New York, 590 pp.
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ENDERS, J. F.; WELLER, T. H. & ROBBINS, F. C. (1949): Science 109: 85-87.
SALK, J. E. (1953): Am. J. Pub. Health 43: 1384-1398.
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