Claims 1. An attenuated swine influenza virus comprising a mutation in a swine influenza NS1 gene that diminishes the ability of the NS1 gene product to antagonize the cellular interferon response, and permits the attenuated virus, at a multiplicity of infection of 0.001, to grow to titers between approximately 3 fold to approximately 7 fold lower than wild-type swine influenza in pig cells, as determined approximately 5 days post-infection when propagated under the same conditions. 2. The attenuated swine influenza virus of claim 1, wherein the attenuated virus is genetically engineered. 3. The attenuated swine influenza virus of claim 1, wherein the attenuated virus is a mutagenized virus or reassortant. 4. The attenuated swine influenza virus of claim 2, wherein the attenuated virus is a chimeric virus that expresses a heterologous sequence. 5. The attenuated swine influenza virus of claim 2, wherein the attenuated virus is a chimeric virus that expresses a tumor antigen. 6. The attenuated swine influenza virus of claim 2, wherein the attenuated virus is a chimeric virus that expresses an epitope of a foreign pathogen. 7. The attenuated swine influenza virus of claim 1, wherein pig cells are PK(D1) cells, PK(15) cells, PK13 cells, NSK cells, LLC-PK1 cells, LLC-PK1A cells, ESK-4 cells, ST cells, PT-K75 cells, PK-2a/CL 13 cells or SJPL cells. 8. (canceled) 9. The attenuated swine influenza virus of claim 2, wherein the mutation is a deletion at the carboxy terminus of the NS1 gene. 10. (canceled) 11. An attenuated swine influenza virus comprising a modified NS1 gene, wherein the attenuated swine influenza virus is TX/98/del 126, TX/98/del 99 or TX/98/del 73. 12. An attenuated swine influenza virus having an altered interferon antagonist phenotype, wherein said virus comprises a mutation in the NS1 gene resulting in a deletion of between the 105 carboxy terminal amino acid residues and the 160 carboxy terminal amino acid residues of NS1. 13. The attenuated swine influenza virus of claim 12, wherein the virus is attenuated by a mutation in the NS1 gene resulting in a deletion of all of the amino acid residues of NS1 except amino acid residues 1-95, amino acid residues 1-90, amino acid residues 1-85, amino acid residues 1-80, amino acid residues 1-75, amino acid residues 1-73, amino acid residues 1-70, amino acid residues 1-65, or amino acid residues 1-60, and wherein the amino terminal amino acid is number 1 and the mutation in the NS1 gene confers an altered interferon antagonist phenotype. 14. (canceled)
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[edit on 30-10-2009 by Drunkenshrew]
