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Poxviruses with
their large genomes have been used as a heat-stable vector for vaccines against other
viral infections. The french oral antirabies vaccine for foxes was a success. It
replicated in the oral cavity of the fox. The recombinant virus has a plasmid encoding the
vaccine gene in place of its thymidine kinase gene. This recombinant but not its wild-type
parent will grow in the selective cell culture medium containing BUdR (see Russell and Edington, p99). However a skin-scratch
vaccines made with vaccinia or goatpox against rinderpest did not protect as well as
traditional live vaccines and there was a risk of the cattle handlers becoming infected
with vaccinia, (with generalisation if they had HIV). For safety reasons these vaccines
are unlikely to be licensed in future. |