The control of viral diseases, with special reference to mumps, rubella, and interferon.

Abstract

The approaches to specific control of viral infectious diseases are immunologic, chemical, and host resistance (interferon). Immunologic control is discussed in reference to latest advances and progress toward control of measles, mumps, and rubella by vaccines. Mumps vaccine was recently licensed for general use and rubella vaccine should become generally available in the foreseeable future. Chemical agents offer the only significant hope for treating the cell once infected and offers some promise for prophylaxis as well. To date, the rewards have been meager considering the effort, and few chemicals of clinical usefulness have been developed. Interferon per se shows little promise as a means for preventing or treating human viral disease, primarily because of source, yield, and cost. By contrast, inducers of interferon show great promise. The recent discovery of interferon induction by double‐stranded RNA has opened a new era of possibility for utilization of the interferon mechanism and is being actively pursued.