Encephalitis Vaccine

Around the world, in hot climes and cool, flourishes a group of viruses that attack the central nervous system, causing encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). Many of these viruses--which scientists have classified in two distinct families labeled "A" and "B"--have defied the efforts of virologists and immunologists to devise protective vaccines. Now Johns Hopkins University's Dr. Winston H. Price reports what appears to be a major breakthrough in the war against the encephalitides. The technique depends on family similarity: immunity against two or three members of the B virus family, it appears, gives immunity against the rest of their deadly kin.

In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Biochemist Price describes the ''immunological overlap'' among the B viruses, most of which are borne by mosquitoes or ticks. Most feared are Japanese B encephalitis, Russian spring-summer fever, St. Louis encephalitis and Murray Valley fever. *Closely related is dengue ("breakbone fever"), and also yellow fever, against which an effective vaccine has been available since 1937.

Dr. Price's team developed an ingenious technique against B viruses. First they inoculate the human subject with the well-proved yellow-fever vaccine. About four months later they give a shot of live West Nile virus--which infects millions in the Near East, causes distressing fevers but is usually no threat to life. After the yellow-fever shot, the subject throws off the West Nile infection readily--and in the process his system develops antibodies against it. Some months later (Dr. Price is still not sure what is the best interval), he gets a third shot, this one of killed Japanese B virus. The result, studies to date indicate, is across-the-board immunity against all the B viruses.

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