Abstract
Vaccinia virus, the prototype Orthopoxvirus, is widely used in the laboratory as a model system to study various aspects of viral biology, virus-host interactions, and as a protein expression system and a vaccine vector. The ubiquitous use of vaccinia viruses in the laboratory raises certain safety concerns, because the virus can be a pathogen in individuals with immunological and dermatological abnormalities and, on occasion, can cause serious problems in normal hosts. This chapter reviews standard operating procedures when working with vaccinia virus and issues surrounding the use of prophylactic smallpox vaccination for laboratory workers.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Moss, B. (2001) Poxviridae: the viruses and their replication, in Fields Virology (Knipe, D. M. and Howley, P. M., eds.), Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, PA, vol. 2, pp. 2849–2883.
Johnston, J. B. and McFadden, G. (2003) Poxvirus immunomodulatory strategies: current perspectives. J. Virol. 77, 6093–7100.
Seet, B. T., Johnston, J. B., Brunetti, C. R., Barrett, J. W., Everett, H., Cameron, C., et al. (2003) Poxviruses and immune evasion. Annu. Rev. Immunol. 21, 377–423.
Moss, B. (1996) Genetically engineered poxviruses for recombinant gene expression, vaccination, and safety. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93, 11341–11348.
Carroll, M. W. and Moss, B. (1997) Poxviruses as expression vectors. Curr. Opin. Biotechnol. 8, 573–577.
CDC. (1985) Recommendations of the immunization practices advisory committee smallpox vaccine. MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. 34, 341–342.
ACIP. (1991) Vaccinia (smallpox) vaccine. Recommendations of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP). MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. 40, 1–10.
ACIP. (2001) Vaccinia (smallpox) vaccine recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2001. MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. 50, 1–25.
Shimojo, H. (1975) Virus infections in laboratories in Japan. Bibl. Haematol. 771–773.
Pike, R. M. (1976) Laboratory-associated infections: summary and analysis of 3921 cases. Health Lab. Sci. 13, 105–114.
Jones, L., Ristow, S., Yilma, T., and Moss, B. (1986) Accidental human vaccination with vaccinia virus expressing nucleoprotein gene. Nature 319, 543.
Openshaw, P. J., Alwan, W. H., Cherrie, A. H., and Record, F. M. (1991) Accidental infection of laboratory worker with recombinant vaccinia virus. Lancet 338, 459.
Mempel, M., Isa, G., Klugbauer, N., Meyer, H., Wildi, G., Ring, J., et al. (2003) Laboratory acquired infection with recombinant vaccinia virus containing an immunomodulating construct. J. Invest. Dermatol. 120, 356–358.
Moussatche, N., Tuyama, M., Kato, S. E., Castro, A. P., Njaine, B., Peralta, R. H., et al. (2003) Accidental infection of laboratory worker with vaccinia virus. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 9, 724–726.
Niederkorn, J. Y. (2002) Immune privilege in the anterior chamber of the eye. Crit. Rev. Immunol. 22, 13–46.
Ruben, F. L. and Lane, J. M. (1970) Ocular vaccinia. An epidemiologic analysis of 348 cases. Arch. Ophthal. 84, 45–48.
Jonczy, E. A., Daly, J., and Kotwal, G. J. (2000) A novel approach using an attenuated recombinant vaccinia virus to test the antipoxviral effects of handsoaps. Antiviral Res. 45, 149–153.
Richmond, J. Y. and McKinney, R. W. (1999) Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories. HHS publication no. (CDC) 93-8395. US Department of Health and Human Services, PHS, CDC, NIH, Washington DC, p. 250.
Block, S. S., ed. (2001) Disinfection, Sterilization, and Preservation. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, PA.
Espy, M. J., Uhl, J. R., Sloan, L. M., Rosenblatt, J. E., Cockerill, F. R., III, and Smith, T. F. (2002) Detection of vaccinia virus, herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, and Bacillus anthracis DNA by LightCycler polymerase chain reaction after autoclaving: implications for biosafety of bioterrorism agents. Mayo Clin. Proc. 77, 624–628.
Baxby, D. (1989) Smallpox vaccination for investigators. Lancet 2, 919.
Wenzel, R. P. and Nettleman, M. D. (1989) Smallpox vaccination for investigators using vaccinia recombinants. Lancet 2, 630–631.
Perry, G. F. (1992) Occupational medicine forum. J. Occup. Med. 34, 757.
Baxby. D. (1993) Indications for smallpox vaccination: policies still differ. Vaccine 11, 395–396.
Williams, N. R. and Cooper, B. M. (1993) Counselling of workers handling vaccinia virus. Occup. Med. (Oxford) 43, 125–127.
Isaacs, S. N. (2002) Critical evaluation of smallpox vaccination for laboratory workers. Occup. Environ. Med. 59, 573–574.
Lane, J. M., Ruben, F. L., Neff, J. M., and Millar, J. D. (1969) Complications of smallpox vaccination, 1968. National surveillance in the United States. N. Engl. J. Med. 281, 1201–1208.
Lane, J. M., Ruben, F. L., Neff, J. M., and Millar, J. D. (1970) Complications of smallpox vaccination, 1968: results of ten statewide surveys. J. Infect. Dis. 122, 303–309.
Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens and Advisory Committee on Genetic Modifications. (1990) Vaccination of Laboratory Workers Handling Vaccinia and Related Poxviruses Infectious for Humans. HMSO Publications Center, London, pp. 1–16.
Fulginiti, V. A. (2003) The risks of vaccinia in laboratory workers. J. Invest. Dermatol. 120, viii.
Smee, D. F. and Sidwell, R. W. (2003) A review of compounds exhibiting anti-orthopoxvirus activity in animal models. Antiviral Res. 57, 41–52.
Wharton, M., Strikas, R. A., Harpaz, R., Rotz, L. D., Schwartz, B., Casey, C. G., et al. (2003) Recommendations for using smallpox vaccine in a pre-event vaccination program. Supplemental recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). MMWR Recomm. Rep. 52, 1–16.
CDC. (2003) Update: cardiac-related events during the civilian smallpox vaccination program—United States, 2003. MMWR Morb. Mortal Wkly. Rep. 52, 492–496.
Grabenstein, J. D. and Winkenwerder, W., Jr. (2003) US military smallpox vaccination program experience. JAMA 289, 3278–3282.
NIH. (1996) Modifications to NIH vaccinia immunization policy. NIH, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD.
Cono, J., Casey, C. G., and Bell, D. M. (2003) Smallpox vaccination and adverse reactions. Guidance for clinicians. MMWR Recomm. Rep. 52, 1–28.
CDC. (2003) Supplemental recommendations on adverse events following smallpox vaccine in the pre-event vaccination program: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. MMWR Morb. Mortal Wkly. Rep. 52, 282–284.
Halsell, J. S., Riddle, J. R., Atwood, J. E., Gardner, P., Shope, R., Poland, G. A., et al. (2003) Myopericarditis following smallpox vaccination among vaccinia-naive US military personnel. JAMA 289, 3283–3289.
Briody, B. A. (1959) Response of mice to ectromelia and vaccinia viruses. Bacteriol. Rev. 23, 61–95.
Lee, S. L., Roos, J. M., McGuigan, L. C., Smith, K. A., Cormier, N., Cohen, L. K., et al. (1992) Molecular attenuation of vaccinia virus: mutant generation and animal characterization. J. Virol. 66, 2617–2630.
Gaertner, D. J., Batchelder, M., Herbst, L. H., and Kaufman, H. L. (2003) Administration of vaccinia virus to mice may cause contact or bedding sentinel mice to test positive for orthopoxvirus antibodies: case report and follow-up investigation. Comp. Med. 53, 85–88.
Holt, R. K., Walker, B. K., and Ruff, A. J. (2002) Horizontal transmission of recombinant vaccinia virus in strain 13 guinea pigs. Contemp Top Lab Anim Sci 41, 57–60.
Engler, R. J., Kenner, J., and Leung, D. Y. (2002) Smallpox vaccination: Risk considerations for patients with atopic dermatitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol 110, 357–365.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2004 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ
About this protocol
Cite this protocol
Isaacs, S.N. (2004). Working Safely with Vaccinia Virus. In: Isaacs, S.N. (eds) Vaccinia Virus and Poxvirology. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 269. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-789-0:001
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-789-0:001
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-229-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-789-5
eBook Packages: Springer Protocols