No evidence of HIV and SIV sequences in two separate lots of polio vaccines used in the first US polio vaccine campaign

We obtained sealed vials of two different polio vaccine lots, expiration da te 1955, which were used in the first U.S. polio vaccine campaign. These ea rly lots were pulled from the market because they contained live infectious poliovirus which caused polio in some of the vaccines. Theoretically, thes e vaccines could have contained other infectious retroviruses, including HI V. No viral sequences were detected using RT-PCR analyses with primers capa ble of amplifying chimpanzee SIV and HIV-1-related viruses nor with primers for macaque SIV, sooty mangabey SIV, and HIV-2-related viruses. Poliovirus sequences were readily amplified by RT-PCR, suggesting that the technique used would have detected SIV or HIV sequences, if present. (C) 2001 Academi c Press.