Mumps Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Mumps, including details on symptoms, vaccine, adult, causes.

The rat-based neurovirulence safety test for the assessment of mumps virus neurovirulence in humans: an international collaborative study.

Rubin SA, Afzal MA, Powell CL, Bentley ML, Auda GR, Taffs RE, Carbone KM

Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Adminstration, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. rubins@cber.fda.gov

Because of the highly neurotropic and neurovirulent properties of wild-type mumps viruses, most national regulatory organizations require neurovirulence testing of virus seeds used in the production of mumps vaccines. Such testing has historically been performed in monkeys; however, some data suggest that testing in monkeys does not necessarily discriminate among the relative neurovirulent risks of mumps virus strains. To address this problem, a collaborative study was initiated by the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control in the United Kingdom and the Food and Drug Administration in the United States, to test a novel rat-based mumps virus neurovirulence safety test. Results indicate that the assay correctly assesses the neurovirulence potential of mumps viruses in humans and is robust and reproducible.

Published 4 March 2005 in J Infect Dis, 191(7): 1123-8.
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