EVIDENCE OF PESTIVIRUS RNA IN HUMAN VIRUS-VACCINES

We examined live virus vaccines against measles, mumps, and rubella fo r the presence of pestivirus RNA or of pestiviruses by reverse transcr iption PCR. Pestivirus RNA was detected in two measles-mumps-rubella c ombined vaccines and in two monovalent vaccines against mumps and rube lla. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the PCR products indicated that a modified live vaccine strain used for immunization of cattle against bovine viral diarrhea is not responsible for the contamination of the vaccines.