Immunisation trials with live attenuated cytomegalovirus TOWNE 125

Trials with live cytomegalovirus (TOWNE 125 strain), which was attenuated by 125 passages exclusively on WI-38 cells, were done in adult volunteers. No virus take occured after oral/nasal application. When 10(3) TCD50 was given intramuscularly an IgG antibody response was detected at four weeks in all of ten volunteers tested by immunofluorescence; an IgM response was found in seven. Only mild local side-effects and relative lymphocytosis were observed. No virus excretion was found. Many questions remain to be answered by further trials before a cytomegalovirus vaccine can be given to adolescent girls.