VETERINARY RESEARCHERS IN FIGHT AGAINST BIOTERRORISM
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Terroristic acts with biological weapons, especially with smallpox viruses, represent a horror scenario. Smallpox vaccine is already routinely used in military personnel but the current vaccine have lots of side effects, like chest pain, shortness of breath and other symptoms. Veterinarians are on the front-line researching ways to create better vaccines and make plans if bio-terrorism does strike the country.
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North Carolina State University veterinary researchers are investigating ways to improve smallpox vaccines for people. Especially the side effects must be reduced before the original plan of vaccination all these first responders can be followed, says Barbara Sherry, professor of virology at the North Carolina College of Veterinary Medicine.
Sherry says the discovery has already been made that the live-virus vaccines infect the heart cells and cause damage, but researchers still donÂ’t know why it happens.
Source: Researchers help lead effort against bioterrorism. In: DVM Newsmagazine June 25, 2004. www.dvmnewsmagazine.com/dvm/
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