Differentiation of the mumps vaccine strains from the wild viruses by the nucleotide sequences of the P gene.

Nucleotide sequence analysis of a part of the P gene of mumps virus allowed the differentiation of live attenuated mumps vaccine strains from each other and from wild mumps viruses. Restriction enzyme analysis was found to serve as a convenient method of screening for one strain of mumps vaccine. Examination by the method of virus isolates obtained from the patients who developed mumps parotitis or meningitis following vaccination revealed that most of those viruses were related to the respective vaccine viruses used for immunization.