- Email: [email protected]
Conference report: Guidelines for the development of recombinant vaccinia viruses for use as vaccines
Book Review Animal Agents and Vectors of Human Disease P. C. Beaver and R. C. Jung 5th edition, 1985, Lea and Febiger Animal Agents and Vectors of Human Disease covers the first half of its subject matter thoroughly by giving classical parasitological details about all the significant (and many less significant) eukaryote pathogens of man that are usually thought of as animal parasites. The business of vectors is much less well served: only arthropods seem to count, so one looks in vain, for instance, for details of the snail hosts of schistosomes. Within the arthropods the coverage of important groups such as the mosquitoes is very superficial. An important disease such as Bancroftian filariasis is considered under section headings of: Morphology, biology and life cycle; Pathogenesis and symptomatology; Diagnosis; Treatment; Epidemiology; and Control. This covers some seven pages (including three pages of illustrations). Of the total, treatment, control and epidemiology command only about seven percent of the space. Twenty-two pages at the back of the book form an appendix on 'Aids to diagnosis and treatment'. Whilst not myself clinically qualified, I noted with some disquiet that pyrimethamine with trisulphapyrimidine is recommended without qualification as treatment for toxoplasmosis. One important candidate group for treatment is pregnant women with a primary infection and I am not certain that this regime does not hazard the fetus in the first trimester. Spiramycin (which is not mentioned) may be preferable. The way the subject matter has been
approached leaves me with the feeling that this book is a living fossil. I cannot say how much it has changed from the previous editions, but its treatment is quite consistent with its origins in the early 1950s, and many of its illustrations date from even earlier. Of course this would be reasonable were they uniformly good illustrations, but unfortunately by no means all of them are good. Many of the line drawings original to E. C. Faust (the senior author of earlier editions) or adapted by him are poorly drawn and are labelled in a difficult and obscurantist way with dashed lines. Some of them are interesting antiquities, such as the drawing of Schistosoma haematobium which originated in 1896. A number of the photographs, which are rather small, are borrowed from 'Clinical Parasitology' (of which Animal Agents seems to be a poor relation). The traditional strength of parasitology books is in life-cycle diagrams. Unfortunately Animal Agents must be faulted in this regard too: there is no uniformity of format so that sometimes a token host is drawn and sometimes not, a key with letters or numbers may be used for labelling, or names may appear in full on the diagram; moreover they have not always been brought up to date. For instance, the malaria diagram has not been modified to include hypnozoites (the source of true relapses), even though these dormant liver forms have found their way into the text. For reasons which one can only guess at, the authors have chosen to eschew mention of just about all of the vigorous
growth points of modern parasitology. One would not know from this book that any significant facts had emerged about how trypanosomes evade the immune response or how immunopathology figures in the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis. Not even the pragmatic business of diagnostic serology is properly attended to, whereas by contrast the making of a blood film is, and so are the methods for egg counts on stool samples. Naturally in this myopic context one finds nothing to suggest that the surface chemistry of malaria sporozoites is now understood from the structure of the coat's gene, nor that monoclonal antibodies have been used widely to dissect the antigens of many of the important organisms this book deals with. Unlike hypnozoites, the new understanding of the mechanism of specific venular endothelial adhesion which mediates the retreat from the circulation and probably the fatal cerebral complications of Plasmodium falciparum has been ignored. To cap it all there are irritating discrepancies between the malaria distribution map and the map for the occurrence of chloroquine resistance. As well as Beaver and Jung, seven other authors, all on the staff of Tulane University, have contributed to this work. The preface states that it is aimed at medical students, students in biology and in public and international health. My recommendation would be that they avoid this book unless they need to know just the rudimentary biology of a human parasite. For the readership of Vaccine it can have little or nothing to offer.
G. H. Mitchell
Guy's Hospita/ Medica/ School London, UK
Erratum Conference Report: Guidelines for the development of recombinant vaccinia viruses for use as vaccines, Vaccine 1986, 4, 69 T h e title in the r e f e r e n c e s h o u l d r e a d " V a c c i n a virus: a s e l e c t a b l e e u k a r y o t i c c l o n i n g a n d e x p r e s s i o n v e c t o r " a n d n o t " S i n g l e o r m u l t i p l e g e n e i n s e r t i o n s " as p r i n t e d .
204 Vaccine, Vol. 4, September 1986
a -Eu
VETERINARY EPIDEMIOLOGY
l
kterinary
Epidemiology
l
contains full statistical appendices
Michael Thrusfield
is the first book to deal solely and comprehensively
with the epidemiology
of animal disease
This book describes the evolution of veterinary medicine, highlights the significance of population medicine and outlines methods of describing disease occurrence. Qualitative epidemiology, relating disease patterns to ecology, is also covered. Many examples relating to livestock, companion and feral animals in both developing and developed countries are given. Sound coverage of basic statistics and computing necessaryforfamiliarity with quantitative methods is provided.The nature, sources, collection and storage of data are detailed and the use of statistical methods in surveys, causal studies and seroepidemiology is described. Contents: The Development ofveterinary Medicine l The Scope of Epidemiology l Some General Epidemiological Concepts . Describing Disease Occurrence l Determinants of Disease *TheTransmission and Maintenance of Infection l The Ecology of Disease l Patterns of Disease l The Nature of Data l Sources of Data l Data Storage and Retrieval l Presenting Numerical Data. Demonstrating Association l Surveys l Observational Studies l Serological Epidemiology l Modelling l The Economics of Disease. Health and Productivity Schemes l The Control of Disease l General Reading l Appendices l References . Index 1986
3OOpp apptvx
Hardcover
Illustrated
0 408 108614
f35.00
Other new titles from Butterworths: Control and ManipulationofAnimalGrowth edited by PJButtery,NBHaynesandDBLindsay 1986 384pp approx Hardcover //lustrated 040700422X f50.00
Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition- 1986 editedby W Haresign and D J A Cole 1986 256pp approx Hardcover Illustrated 0407011625 f37.00
Nutrient Requirementsof Poultry edited by C Fisher and K N Bootman 1986 32Opp approx Hardcover Illustrated 0407003479 f34.00
The vduntary Food Intake of Farm Animals: Control and Prediction by J M Forbes 1986 224pp approx Hardcover ///us tra ted 0 408 111542 f29.50
Please order these titles from your usual bookseller -or in case of diiculiy from Butterworths, address as shown below.
Vaccine, Vol. 4, September
1988
205
2nd International Conference
6 - 8 July 1987
Churchill
Sponsored by the journal
College, Cambrid@,
UK.
m
Biointeractlons’87 is a major international event in the study of interactions between biotechnology and biomaterials. This important conference, second in the series sponsored by the journal Biornaterials, is intended to enlarge and improve understanding between materials scientists and biologists by focusing on the ways in which biotechnological products and man-made materials interact physically and chemically with biological environments. Behaviour at surfaces, particularly cell/surface interaction, strongly influences the effectiveness of implanted materials and can be adapted for clinical application.
scientifAc Robert Langer James Anderson Garth Hastings Marcel Jozefowicz Nicholas Peppas David Williams
-
committee
M/7; Cambridge, USA (Chairman) Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, USA North Staffordshire Polytechnic, UK University of Paris-Nord, France Purdue University, Indiana, USA University of Liverpool, UK
Call for pagers - Biointeractions ‘8’1 The scientific committee of Biointeractions'87invites papers on all aspects of the chemistry, physics and biology of the interface between implanted materials and physiological environments. Surface dynamics and morphology will be examined; the application of biotechnology in the manufacture and use of biomaterials; drug delivery systems including complex polymers and monoclonal antibodies to aid drug targeting; adsorption and adhesion; the behaviour of cells in the presence of enzymes, proteins and drugs; monitoring and measurement of these processes by novel sensors will all be considered.
lbgicswillinclude 0 cell/polymer interaction
l
biosensors l blood/surface activity 0 protein fractionation
l
l
l l
enzyme and antibody action drug action controlled release macrophage activity
l l l l
bioadhesion drug targeting biocompatibility monoclonal antibodies
Intending authors are requested to submit an abstract (250-300 words) for consideration. The scientific committee will advise the author whether the paper has been accepted for presentation as a poster or a . . . _. r.1. * delivered paper.This decision will be based upon Its relevance to the parttcular tnemes of tnts conrerence ana the committee reserves the right to refuse those papers which despite their intrinsic merit, are considered to be too far removed from the themes intended. Closing date for abstracts is 1st January 1987. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII__IIII_III
To: Mary Korndorffer, Conference Organizer, BIOINTERACTIONS ‘87 Butterworth Scientific Ltd, PO Box 63, Westbury House, Bury Street, Guildford, Surrey GU2 5BH, UK. 0 0
Please send me the second circular for BIOINTERACTIONS ‘87 I am considering submitting a paper on the following topic . ... .... .. ... .... .. .. .... .. ... .. ... .. .... ... .. .... .. ... .... .. ... .... .. .. .
... .. .. .... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. .. ... ... .. ... ... ... .. ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... .. .. .... .. .. .. .... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... .........................................
. ... .. .. .. ...
0 I would like to receive instructions and abstract forms ... .. ... .... .. ... ... ... .. .. ... ... ... ... .. .... .. .. .... ... .. .... .. ... ... ... ... ... ... . Name Address
206
. ... ... .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .... .. ... .. ... ... ... .. ... ... ... .. .. .... .. ... .. ... .. .... .. ... .... .. ... .. .... .. .. .... ... .. ... .. ... ... ... ... ... .. ... .... .. ... .. .. .. .. ... ......... ... .. ... ... ... .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .... .. ... .. ... ... ... ... . ..... .. .. .. .... ... .. .. .. .... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. .... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... ... .. .... .. ... ... ... .
Vaccine, Vol. 4, September 1986
The Journal of Hygiene Journal of Hygiene is an international journal containing original reports and reviews on alI aspects of infection of man and animals. Infection is broadly defined and subjects range from immunity to epidemiology. It also contains articles related to hygiene, preventive and social medicine worldwide. Forthcoming articles include: * * * * *
Tuberculosis in cattle and badgers Endotoxin removal from water with a new adsorbent Plasmid profiles of Salmonella gold-coast Chemical disinfection of human rotaviruses Yellow fever in Swansea Subsmiptions: $A% ($19) per year (six issues) Airmail &23 extra
Send to theJournal Subscription Manager ak m
Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Shatlesbtuy Road, Cambridge CB2 2RU, England 32 East 57th Street, New York, NY 10022
Vaccine, Vol. 4, September 1986
267
approached leaves me with the feeling that this book is a living fossil. I cannot say how much it has changed from the previous editions, but its treatment is quite consistent with its origins in the early 1950s, and many of its illustrations date from even earlier. Of course this would be reasonable were they uniformly good illustrations, but unfortunately by no means all of them are good. Many of the line drawings original to E. C. Faust (the senior author of earlier editions) or adapted by him are poorly drawn and are labelled in a difficult and obscurantist way with dashed lines. Some of them are interesting antiquities, such as the drawing of Schistosoma haematobium which originated in 1896. A number of the photographs, which are rather small, are borrowed from 'Clinical Parasitology' (of which Animal Agents seems to be a poor relation). The traditional strength of parasitology books is in life-cycle diagrams. Unfortunately Animal Agents must be faulted in this regard too: there is no uniformity of format so that sometimes a token host is drawn and sometimes not, a key with letters or numbers may be used for labelling, or names may appear in full on the diagram; moreover they have not always been brought up to date. For instance, the malaria diagram has not been modified to include hypnozoites (the source of true relapses), even though these dormant liver forms have found their way into the text. For reasons which one can only guess at, the authors have chosen to eschew mention of just about all of the vigorous
growth points of modern parasitology. One would not know from this book that any significant facts had emerged about how trypanosomes evade the immune response or how immunopathology figures in the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis. Not even the pragmatic business of diagnostic serology is properly attended to, whereas by contrast the making of a blood film is, and so are the methods for egg counts on stool samples. Naturally in this myopic context one finds nothing to suggest that the surface chemistry of malaria sporozoites is now understood from the structure of the coat's gene, nor that monoclonal antibodies have been used widely to dissect the antigens of many of the important organisms this book deals with. Unlike hypnozoites, the new understanding of the mechanism of specific venular endothelial adhesion which mediates the retreat from the circulation and probably the fatal cerebral complications of Plasmodium falciparum has been ignored. To cap it all there are irritating discrepancies between the malaria distribution map and the map for the occurrence of chloroquine resistance. As well as Beaver and Jung, seven other authors, all on the staff of Tulane University, have contributed to this work. The preface states that it is aimed at medical students, students in biology and in public and international health. My recommendation would be that they avoid this book unless they need to know just the rudimentary biology of a human parasite. For the readership of Vaccine it can have little or nothing to offer.
G. H. Mitchell
Guy's Hospita/ Medica/ School London, UK
Erratum Conference Report: Guidelines for the development of recombinant vaccinia viruses for use as vaccines, Vaccine 1986, 4, 69 T h e title in the r e f e r e n c e s h o u l d r e a d " V a c c i n a virus: a s e l e c t a b l e e u k a r y o t i c c l o n i n g a n d e x p r e s s i o n v e c t o r " a n d n o t " S i n g l e o r m u l t i p l e g e n e i n s e r t i o n s " as p r i n t e d .
204 Vaccine, Vol. 4, September 1986
a -Eu
VETERINARY EPIDEMIOLOGY
l
kterinary
Epidemiology
l
contains full statistical appendices
Michael Thrusfield
is the first book to deal solely and comprehensively
with the epidemiology
of animal disease
This book describes the evolution of veterinary medicine, highlights the significance of population medicine and outlines methods of describing disease occurrence. Qualitative epidemiology, relating disease patterns to ecology, is also covered. Many examples relating to livestock, companion and feral animals in both developing and developed countries are given. Sound coverage of basic statistics and computing necessaryforfamiliarity with quantitative methods is provided.The nature, sources, collection and storage of data are detailed and the use of statistical methods in surveys, causal studies and seroepidemiology is described. Contents: The Development ofveterinary Medicine l The Scope of Epidemiology l Some General Epidemiological Concepts . Describing Disease Occurrence l Determinants of Disease *TheTransmission and Maintenance of Infection l The Ecology of Disease l Patterns of Disease l The Nature of Data l Sources of Data l Data Storage and Retrieval l Presenting Numerical Data. Demonstrating Association l Surveys l Observational Studies l Serological Epidemiology l Modelling l The Economics of Disease. Health and Productivity Schemes l The Control of Disease l General Reading l Appendices l References . Index 1986
3OOpp apptvx
Hardcover
Illustrated
0 408 108614
f35.00
Other new titles from Butterworths: Control and ManipulationofAnimalGrowth edited by PJButtery,NBHaynesandDBLindsay 1986 384pp approx Hardcover //lustrated 040700422X f50.00
Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition- 1986 editedby W Haresign and D J A Cole 1986 256pp approx Hardcover Illustrated 0407011625 f37.00
Nutrient Requirementsof Poultry edited by C Fisher and K N Bootman 1986 32Opp approx Hardcover Illustrated 0407003479 f34.00
The vduntary Food Intake of Farm Animals: Control and Prediction by J M Forbes 1986 224pp approx Hardcover ///us tra ted 0 408 111542 f29.50
Please order these titles from your usual bookseller -or in case of diiculiy from Butterworths, address as shown below.
Vaccine, Vol. 4, September
1988
205
2nd International Conference
6 - 8 July 1987
Churchill
Sponsored by the journal
College, Cambrid@,
UK.
m
Biointeractlons’87 is a major international event in the study of interactions between biotechnology and biomaterials. This important conference, second in the series sponsored by the journal Biornaterials, is intended to enlarge and improve understanding between materials scientists and biologists by focusing on the ways in which biotechnological products and man-made materials interact physically and chemically with biological environments. Behaviour at surfaces, particularly cell/surface interaction, strongly influences the effectiveness of implanted materials and can be adapted for clinical application.
scientifAc Robert Langer James Anderson Garth Hastings Marcel Jozefowicz Nicholas Peppas David Williams
-
committee
M/7; Cambridge, USA (Chairman) Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, USA North Staffordshire Polytechnic, UK University of Paris-Nord, France Purdue University, Indiana, USA University of Liverpool, UK
Call for pagers - Biointeractions ‘8’1 The scientific committee of Biointeractions'87invites papers on all aspects of the chemistry, physics and biology of the interface between implanted materials and physiological environments. Surface dynamics and morphology will be examined; the application of biotechnology in the manufacture and use of biomaterials; drug delivery systems including complex polymers and monoclonal antibodies to aid drug targeting; adsorption and adhesion; the behaviour of cells in the presence of enzymes, proteins and drugs; monitoring and measurement of these processes by novel sensors will all be considered.
lbgicswillinclude 0 cell/polymer interaction
l
biosensors l blood/surface activity 0 protein fractionation
l
l
l l
enzyme and antibody action drug action controlled release macrophage activity
l l l l
bioadhesion drug targeting biocompatibility monoclonal antibodies
Intending authors are requested to submit an abstract (250-300 words) for consideration. The scientific committee will advise the author whether the paper has been accepted for presentation as a poster or a . . . _. r.1. * delivered paper.This decision will be based upon Its relevance to the parttcular tnemes of tnts conrerence ana the committee reserves the right to refuse those papers which despite their intrinsic merit, are considered to be too far removed from the themes intended. Closing date for abstracts is 1st January 1987. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII__IIII_III
To: Mary Korndorffer, Conference Organizer, BIOINTERACTIONS ‘87 Butterworth Scientific Ltd, PO Box 63, Westbury House, Bury Street, Guildford, Surrey GU2 5BH, UK. 0 0
Please send me the second circular for BIOINTERACTIONS ‘87 I am considering submitting a paper on the following topic . ... .... .. ... .... .. .. .... .. ... .. ... .. .... ... .. .... .. ... .... .. ... .... .. .. .
... .. .. .... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. .. ... ... .. ... ... ... .. ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... .. .. .... .. .. .. .... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... .........................................
. ... .. .. .. ...
0 I would like to receive instructions and abstract forms ... .. ... .... .. ... ... ... .. .. ... ... ... ... .. .... .. .. .... ... .. .... .. ... ... ... ... ... ... . Name Address
206
. ... ... .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .... .. ... .. ... ... ... .. ... ... ... .. .. .... .. ... .. ... .. .... .. ... .... .. ... .. .... .. .. .... ... .. ... .. ... ... ... ... ... .. ... .... .. ... .. .. .. .. ... ......... ... .. ... ... ... .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .... .. ... .. ... ... ... ... . ..... .. .. .. .... ... .. .. .. .... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. .... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... ... .. .... .. ... ... ... .
Vaccine, Vol. 4, September 1986
The Journal of Hygiene Journal of Hygiene is an international journal containing original reports and reviews on alI aspects of infection of man and animals. Infection is broadly defined and subjects range from immunity to epidemiology. It also contains articles related to hygiene, preventive and social medicine worldwide. Forthcoming articles include: * * * * *
Tuberculosis in cattle and badgers Endotoxin removal from water with a new adsorbent Plasmid profiles of Salmonella gold-coast Chemical disinfection of human rotaviruses Yellow fever in Swansea Subsmiptions: $A% ($19) per year (six issues) Airmail &23 extra
Send to theJournal Subscription Manager ak m
Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Shatlesbtuy Road, Cambridge CB2 2RU, England 32 East 57th Street, New York, NY 10022
Vaccine, Vol. 4, September 1986
267