U.S. scientists have developed a cheap and easily produced vaccine to combat botulism, which is on a short list of feared biological weapons agents, the San Jose Mercury News reported today (see GSN, July 2).

The new vaccine, which is made up of manufactured antibodies, has so far only been tested in mice but could be available to the public within four years, said James Marks, a University of California-San Francisco researcher who headed the development project.  The vaccine, which can protect a person for up to six months, is effective against the form of botulinum toxin that would probably be used in an attack, Marks said, adding that the same form is used in the cosmetic agent Botox.

The vaccine works by attaching antibodies to different sections of botulinum toxin and neutralizing it, according to the Mercury News.  Manufacturers are already capable of producing the antibodies and could produce large quantities of the vaccine, Marks said.  Supplies of the vaccine could be stockpiled because the antibodies are long-lived, he said.

The results of the University of California-San Francisco study are expected to be published online this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Botulinum toxin is probably the most poisonous substance on Earth, the Mercury News reported, with only one gram capable of killing 1 million people.  Some biological weapons experts believe that terrorists would be less likely to use botulinum toxin because it is harder to weaponize than other biological agents, according to the News.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, includes the toxin on its list of potential biological weapons (Barbara Feeder Ostrov, San Jose Mercury News, Aug. 6).

For further information, see:

Journal of the American Medical Association Background on Botulinum Toxin

CDC Basic Information About Botulism

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