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Ch. 25 - Pathogenic RNA Viruses
Bauman - Microbiology with Diseases by Taxonomy 6th Edition
Bauman6th EditionMicrobiology with Diseases by TaxonomyISBN: 9780134832302Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksBauman 6th EditionCh. 25 - Pathogenic RNA VirusesProblem 4
Chapter 25, Problem 4

_____Because the oral polio vaccine contains live attenuated viruses, mutations of these viruses can cause polio.

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1
Understand the nature of the oral polio vaccine (OPV): it contains live attenuated (weakened) poliovirus strains that can replicate in the intestine without causing disease in most cases.
Recognize that because these viruses are live and replicate, they can undergo genetic changes or mutations during replication.
Know that some mutations may revert the attenuated virus back to a more virulent form capable of causing polio, which is why vaccine-derived poliovirus can sometimes cause outbreaks.
Identify the term that fits the blank as 'Because the oral polio vaccine contains live attenuated viruses, mutations of these viruses can cause polio.' The missing word is likely 'Reversion' or 'Reversion to virulence'.
Summarize that the key concept is the risk of 'reversion' of the attenuated virus to a pathogenic form due to mutations during replication in the vaccinated individual.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Live Attenuated Vaccines

Live attenuated vaccines use weakened forms of a virus that can still replicate but do not cause disease in healthy individuals. These vaccines stimulate a strong immune response by mimicking natural infection, but carry a small risk of reverting to a virulent form.
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Viral Mutation and Reversion

Viruses, especially RNA viruses like poliovirus, can mutate during replication. In live attenuated vaccines, mutations may cause the weakened virus to revert to a more virulent form, potentially leading to vaccine-derived infections.
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Types of Mutations

Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) and Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus

The oral polio vaccine contains live attenuated poliovirus strains that can rarely mutate and regain neurovirulence, causing vaccine-derived poliovirus outbreaks. This risk is why some regions use inactivated polio vaccines instead.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

The patient in room 519 exhibits yellowing skin and eyes, and it is suspected among the nursing staff that the diagnosis will be some kind of viral hepatitis. Make a chart of five kinds of hepatitis mentioned in this chapter, the infecting pathogen, how the patient might have become infected, and the relative degree of seriousness.

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Textbook Question

Arboviruses are ___________.


a. zoonotic pathogens

b. deactivated viruses used in vaccines

c. viruses that are transmitted to humans via the bite of an arthropod

d. found in arbors

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Textbook Question

Why is AIDS more accurately termed a “syndrome” instead of a “disease”?

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Textbook Question

The smallest animal viruses are in the family ___________.


a. Caliciviridae

b. Astroviridae

c. Togaviridae

d. Picornaviridae

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Textbook Question

_____Postpolio syndrome is due to latent polioviruses that become active 30 to 40 years after the initial infection.

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Textbook Question

Which of the following viruses cause most colds?


a. Rhinoviruses

b. Parainfluenza viruses

c. Pneumoviruses

d. Bunyaviruses

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