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Nothing stimulates immunity as well as the infection itself; hence, in a vaccine, use of an organism with a mutation that eliminates pathogenicity is optimal.
 But for some reason, this approach is more readily accepted for veterinary than human vaccines. Now Patrick M. Bavoil of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, et al. dissect a live vaccine strain to show that two specific point mutations, one affecting central metabolism, the other affecting a member of the surfaceexposed polymorphic membrane protein family, are sufficient to attenuate Chlamydia abortus' virulence towards ovine species (sheep). "The significance is this mutant has been used apparently with good success and in many countries, particularly in Europe, as a live vaccine against ovine abortion caused by this Chlamydia species," says Bavoil.
(L. S. Burall, A. Rodolakis, A. Rekiki, G. S. A. Myers, and P. M. Bavoil. 2009. Genomic analysis of an attenuated Chlamydia abortus live vaccine strain reveals defects in the central metabolism and surface proteins. Infect. Immun. 77:3218-3226.)
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