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Absence of Mycoplasma Contamination in the Anthrax Vaccine

NCJ Number
193255
Journal
Emerging Infectious Diseases Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2002 Pages: 94-96
Author(s)
Mary K. Hart; Richard A. Del Giudice; George W. Korch Jr.
Date Published
January 2002
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This study examined the anthrax vaccine for the presence of mycoplasma contamination.
Abstract
Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed (AVA) is a licensed vaccine for anthrax that was administered to approximately 150,000 U.S. military personnel during the Persian Gulf War, and more recently as part of a comprehensive vaccination policy for Department of Defense service members. It has been suggested that contamination of the licensed anthrax vaccine with Mycoplasma fermentans could have been responsible for human illness specifically associated with Persian Gulf syndrome. The possibility of its being contaminated with mycoplasma was examined by culture techniques and by polymerase chain reaction assay at two nonmilitary laboratories. No evidence was found either from culture or mycoplasma-specific nucleic acid amplification methods to suggest that a mycoplasma contaminant was present in the vaccine lots tested. These results are consistent with those of a previous report that found no evidence of such contamination in another anthrax vaccine. Additionally, Mycoplasma organisms deliberately added to AVA did not survive for even 1 day, presumably because of the preservatives added to the vaccine formulation to retard adventitious agent growth. These results argue against assertions that the vaccine was contaminated with Mycoplasma organisms and that such putative contamination contributed to human illness. Table, figure, references