RUBELLA-VIRUS STRAINS SHOW NO MAJOR ANTIGENIC DIFFERENCES

To determine whether antigenic differences occur among rubella virus s trains, five wild-type strains of rubella virus isolated in the UK, th e USA, and in Japan between 1964 and 1987 and four attenuated vaccine strains were compared employing a panel of 28 monoclonal antibodies in neutralization, haemagglutination-inhibition, enzyme immunoassay, and indirect immunofluorescence assays. No antigenic differences were det ected which confirms that rubella vaccines will protect against circul ating strains and that rubella antigens used in serological tests for screening and diagnosis will detect antibodies induced by all strains.