Related Experiment Videos
Nucleotide sequence analysis of Urabe mumps vaccine strain that caused meningitis in vaccine recipients
E G Brown1, J Furesz, K Dimock
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract:
Mumps virus was isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of eight patients who acquired meningitis within 4 weeks of immunization with live Trivirix vaccine that contains mumps (Urabe Am 9), measles (Schwarz), and rubella (RA 27/3) viruses. Part of the haemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) gene from three postvaccination isolates of mumps virus, three wild strains and the Urabe and Jeryl Lynn vaccine strains was cloned following polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, for the purpose of sequence analysis. A 200-nucleotide portion of the cloned HN genes was sequenced and compared to published sequences of two other strains (RW and SBL-1). The postvaccination mumps strains were identical in sequence to Urabe and were distinguishable from the wild and the Jeryl Lynn vaccine strains. Twenty-two out of 200 positions were seen to vary among the group of viruses. It was concluded that the Urabe vaccine strain was the cause of postvaccination meningitis. Therefore, with effect from 1990, Trivirix measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is no longer licensed for sale in Canada.
Insights
The Urabe vaccine strain in Trivirix, a measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, was identified as the cause of mumps meningitis in eight patients. This led to the vaccine
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Meningitis cases were observed in patients following immunization with Trivirix vaccine.
- Trivirix contains live mumps (Urabe Am 9), measles (Schwarz), and rubella (RA 27/3) viruses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the specific viral strain responsible for post-vaccination meningitis.
- To analyze the genetic relationship between vaccine and wild mumps virus strains.
Main Methods:
- Mumps virus was isolated from cerebrospinal fluid of affected patients.
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify the haemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) gene.
- Sequencing of a 200-nucleotide portion of the cloned HN genes was performed for comparative analysis.
Main Results:
- Post-vaccination mumps virus isolates showed identical sequences to the Urabe vaccine strain.
- These isolates were genetically distinguishable from wild mumps strains and the Jeryl Lynn vaccine strain.
- Twenty-two nucleotide variations were observed among the analyzed viral strains.
Conclusions:
- The Urabe vaccine strain of mumps virus was confirmed as the causative agent of post-vaccination meningitis.
- Trivirix vaccine, containing the Urabe strain, was withdrawn from sale in Canada in 1990 due to this finding.