http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-968368.mp3
Albany, NY – In today's Academic Minute, Dr. Dennis Metzger of Albany Medical College explains the potential dangers of Rabbit Fever as a biological weapon and efforts to create a simple vaccine to protect against exposure.
Dennis Metzger is director of the Center for Microbiology and Microbial Disease at the Albany Medical College. His current research concentrates on examining new approaches for the induction of protective mucosal immune responses. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Dr. Dennis Metzger - Rabbit Fever
Tularemia was discovered in Tulare County, California in 1911. The bacteria responsible termed Francisella tularensis is present in soil, animals and insects. The infection usually only causes fever and a sore throat and typically is easily treated with antibiotics.
Unfortunately, there is a type of tularemia the pulmonary form that is not so easily defended against. When small amounts of tularemia bacteria are inhaled into the lungs it is usually lethal in a short period of time. In fact, the bacteria were specifically developed as a potentially lethal biological weapon during the Cold War by both the United States and the Soviet Union. While the U.S. formally destroyed its stock of this deadly agent, it's not known if all of the Soviet supplies were similarly destroyed. Because of its ease of dissemination and substantial capacity to cause serious illness and death, pulmonary tularemia is now considered the highest level bio threat by the U.S. government, similar to anthrax and plague.
The current fear is that bioterrorists could put the bacteria into an airborne weapon that would kill thousands. The NIH is sponsoring research aimed at developing biological defenses against pulmonary tularemia. The specific goal of this research is to develop a nasal spray similar to the influenza Flu-mist vaccine which could be used to protect individuals against this potential threat.
We have already demonstrated that by using a small amount of weakened live bacteria as a vaccine, we can protect mice. Our next step is to consider whether vaccines combining killed or weakened bacteria and other boosting substances may offer even greater protection and be safer for eventual human use.
While this work currently remains at the basic science level, our ultimate hope is that in the near future a tularemia vaccine will be developed and introduced into human trials.