Oral vaccination of foxes and raccoon dogs against rabies with the 3rd generation oral rabies virus vaccine, SPBN GASGAS, in Finland

Abstract Background To prevent re-emergence of wildlife-mediated rabies in Finland, oral rabies vaccine baits are distributed every year during autumn in southern Finland in a vaccination zone bordering Russia. Recently, Finland introduced a 3rd generation oral rabies virus vaccine bait. By analysing bait uptake and seroconversion in red foxes and raccoon dogs, the field efficacy of this new vaccine strain, SPBN GASGAS, was compared with the originally used highly efficacious 1st generation vaccine SAD B19. Results Overall, 74.6% and 53.9% of the animals submitted from the vaccination area after the campaigns (2017–2019) tested positive for the presence of the bait marker and anti-rabiesvirus antibodies, respectively. No significant difference was observed between years, species and vaccine. Conclusions The field performance of the highly attenuated 3rd generation oral rabies vaccine, SPBN GASGAS, in terms of bait uptake and seroconversion was similar to the 1st generation vaccine, SAD B19, and therefore offers a suitable alternative.

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Comparative immunogenicity and efficacy studies with oral rabies virus vaccine SAD P5/88 in raccoon dogs and red foxes

Acta Veterinaria Hungarica ◽

10.1556/004.49.2001.3.4 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 49 (3) ◽

pp. 285-290

Author(s):

P. Schuster ◽

T. Müller ◽

A. Vos ◽

T. Selhorst ◽

L. Neubert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rabies Virus ◽

Virus Vaccine ◽

Post Infection ◽

Effective Vaccine ◽

Red Foxes ◽

Oral Vaccination ◽

Post Vaccination ◽

Oral Application ◽

Raccoon Dogs ◽

Efficacy Studies

A comparative study of immunogenicity and efficacy of the oral rabies virus vaccine SAD P5/88 in raccoon dogs and foxes was conducted. The raccoon dogs received 10 (n = 6), 106.3 (n = 6) or 105.7 FFU SAD P5/88 (n = 5) by direct oral application, and subsequently all animals seroconverted. The foxes received 107.2 (n = 4), 106.2 (n = 4), 105.2 (n = 4) and 104.2 FFU SAD P5/88 (n = 5) by the same route. On days 106 and 196 post vaccination 10 raccoon dogs and 16 foxes were challenged with a relevant street virus, respectively. All 10 raccoon dogs vaccinated with 106.3 (n = 5) or 105.7 FFU SAD P5/88 (n = 5) survived the challenge, whereas all control animals (n = 5) died of rabies. Two foxes vaccinated with 104.2 FFU and one fox vaccinated with 105.2 FFU died of rabies on day 7, 17 and 12 post infection, respectively. Also all control foxes succumbed to rabies. Our findings demonstrate that SAD P5/88 is not only an effective vaccine for oral vaccination of foxes but also for that of raccoon dogs.

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Comparative immunogenicity and efficacy studies with oral rabies virus vaccine SAD P5/88 in raccoon dogs and red foxes

Acta Veterinaria Hungarica ◽

10.1556/avet.49.2001.3.4 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 49 (3) ◽

pp. 285-290 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

P. Schuster ◽

A. Vos ◽

et al. ◽

T. Müller

Keyword(s):

Rabies Virus ◽

Virus Vaccine ◽

Red Foxes ◽

Raccoon Dogs ◽

Efficacy Studies

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Efficacy of the oral rabies virus vaccine strain SPBN GASGAS in foxes and raccoon dogs

Vaccine ◽

10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.09.093 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (33) ◽

pp. 4750-4757 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Conrad M. Freuling ◽

Elisa Eggerbauer ◽

Stefan Finke ◽

Christiane Kaiser ◽

Christian Kaiser ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rabies Virus ◽

Vaccine Strain ◽

Virus Vaccine ◽

Raccoon Dogs

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EFFECT OF HIGH-DENSITY ORAL RABIES VACCINE BAITING ON RABIES VIRUS NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODY RESPONSE IN RACCOONS (PROCYON LOTOR)

Journal of Wildlife Diseases ◽

10.7589/2018-05-138 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 55 (2) ◽

pp. 399 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Kerri Pedersen ◽

Amy T. Gilbert ◽

Eric S. Wilhelm ◽

Kathleen M. Nelson ◽

Amy J. Davis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antibody Response ◽

Rabies Virus ◽

Procyon Lotor ◽

Neutralizing Antibody ◽

Rabies Vaccine ◽

High Density ◽

Oral Rabies Vaccine

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Ecology and evolution of rabies virus in Europe

Journal of General Virology ◽

10.1099/0022-1317-80-10-2545 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 80 (10) ◽

pp. 2545-2557 ◽

Cited By ~ 159

Author(s):

Hervé Bourhy ◽

Bachir Kissi ◽

Laurent Audry ◽

Marcin Smreczak ◽

Malgorzata Sadkowska-Todys ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rabies Virus ◽

Sequence Data ◽

Geographical Area ◽

Red Foxes ◽

Phylogenetic Groups ◽

European Origin ◽

Vistula River ◽

Physical Barriers ◽

Raccoon Dogs ◽

Virus Strains

The evolution of rabies viruses of predominantly European origin was studied by comparing nucleotide sequences of the nucleoprotein and glycoprotein genes, and by typing isolates using RFLP. Phylogenetic analysis of the gene sequence data revealed a number of distinct groups, each associated with a particular geographical area. Such a pattern suggests that rabies virus has spread westwards and southwards across Europe during this century, but that physical barriers such as the Vistula river in Poland have enabled localized evolution. During this dispersal process, two species jumps took place – one into red foxes and another into raccoon dogs, although it is unclear whether virus strains are preferentially adapted to particular animal species or whether ecological forces explain the occurrence of the phylogenetic groups.

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Field performance of the M-44 ejector for red fox (Vulpes vulpes) control

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr01032 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 30 (6) ◽

pp. 601 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Clive A. Marks ◽

Frank Gigliotti ◽

Frank Busana

Keyword(s):

Vulpes Vulpes ◽

Recovery Period ◽

Field Performance ◽

Published Data ◽

Red Foxes ◽

Simple Strategy ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Bait Station ◽

Free Feeding ◽

Overall Ratio

The M-44 ejector was used to recover red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in the eastern highlands of Victoria during two summer and two winter trials in 1997–99. Two transects containing 20 devices each were established at five independent sites. Meat baits containing rhodamine B (RB) were used in a three-week free-feeding period at each site before the ejectors were loaded with cyanide capsules and set for a further six weeks. No significant correlation was found between bodyweight and the distance from the bait station that foxes were recovered. No bias was detected in the age of either sex or the overall ratio of males to females. Bait station activity in the free-feed period was not closely correlated with the recovery of foxes at the same bait station. Comparisons with published data found no significant difference in the age structure and sex ratio of foxes recovered with the M-44 and those taken by trapping or day shooting. Nearest-neighbour distances between recovered foxes were significantly smaller in summer 1997/98 than for consecutive periods (P < 0.05). Fox recoveries were contagious in their distribution in all but the winter 1998 period. The age of foxes recovered declined from summer to winter in each year (P < 0.05) and the ratio of yearlings to adults systematically increased over the four periods. Only 39.5% of the 160 foxes recovered overall had consumed a RB-marked bait used in the three-week free-feed period, and 43% of all foxes recovered in the first week were not marked. Over a six-week recovery period in summer 1997/98 and winter 1998 there was a significant inverse relationship between time and the number of foxes recovered (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the slopes of the regression describing the recovery of marked and unmarked foxes during summer 1997/98, suggesting that both groups were removed at the same rate. We discuss these data with reference to the use of fox age as an indicator of control performance and suggest a simple strategy to enhance baiting efficacy when fox distribution is contagious.

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Comparative Study of Optical Markers to Assess Bait System Efficiency Concerning Vaccine Release in the Oral Cavity of Dogs

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v13071382 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 1382

Author(s):

Anna Langguth ◽

Kansuda Leelahapongsathon ◽

Napasaporn Wannapong ◽

Suwicha Kasemsuwan ◽

Steffen Ortmann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oral Cavity ◽

Negative Control ◽

Reservoir Host ◽

Rabies Vaccine ◽

Type D ◽

Patent Blue ◽

Solution Type ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Oral Rabies Vaccine ◽

Patent Blue V

Oral vaccination of dogs against rabies has the potential to achieve mass coverage and thus deplete the virus of its most important reservoir host species. There is, however, no established non-invasive method to evaluate vaccine release in the oral cavity, following bait ingestion. In this study, two pre-selected marker methods in conjunction with their acceptance were assessed in local Thai dogs. Shelter dogs (n = 47) were offered one of four randomized bait formulations; bait type A-, containing Green S (E142) in a fructose solution; type B-, containing Patent Blue V (E131) in a fructose solution; type C-, containing the medium used for delivery of oral rabies vaccine in baits commercially produced; and type D-, containing denatonium benzoate, which was to serve as the negative control, due to its perceived bitterness. Patent Blue V was found to possess overall stronger dyeing capacities compared to Green S. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the acceptance or bait handling of Patent Blue V baits compared to those containing the oral rabies vaccine medium alone, suggesting the potential use of this dye as a surrogate for rabies vaccine when testing newly developed bait formats.

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Humoral Immune Response of Thai Dogs after Oral Vaccination against Rabies with the SPBN GASGAS Vaccine Strain

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines8040573 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 573

Author(s):

Kansuda Leelahapongsathon ◽

Suwicha Kasemsuwan ◽

Tanu Pinyopummintr ◽

Orawan Boodde ◽

Parinya Phawaphutayanchai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune Response ◽

Oral Administration ◽

Rabies Virus ◽

Vaccine Strain ◽

Humoral Immune Response ◽

Rabies Vaccine ◽

Oral Vaccination ◽

Specific Antibodies ◽

Humoral Immune ◽

Oral Rabies Vaccine

Applied research is crucial in pushing the boundaries and finding a solution to the age-old problem of dog-mediated rabies. Although oral vaccination of dogs is considered to have great potential in mass dog vaccination campaigns and could have far-reaching benefits, it is perhaps the most ignored of all available tools in efforts to eliminate dog-mediated rabies, not least because of limited data on immunogenicity, efficacy, and safety of potential oral rabies vaccine candidates. In this study, the long-term immunogenicity in local Thai dogs after oral administration of the highly attenuated 3rd generation rabies virus vaccine strain SPBN GASGAS was assessed. The oral rabies vaccine was administered to dogs by either direct oral administration (n = 10) or by offering a vaccine loaded intestine bait (n = 15). The humoral immune response was then compared to three groups of dogs; a group that received a parenteral delivered inactivated rabies vaccine (n = 10), a group offered a placebo intestine bait (n = 7), and a control group (n = 4) for an observation period of 365 days. There was no significant difference in the immune response of dogs that received oral and parenteral vaccine in terms of magnitude, kinetics, and persistence of both rabies virus (RABV) neutralizing (RFFIT) and binding (ELISA) antibodies. Although the single parenteral injection of an inactivated rabies vaccine mounted a slightly higher humoral immune response than the orally delivered live vaccine, RABV specific antibodies of both types were still detectable after one year in most animals for all treatment groups and resulted in no difference in seropositivity. Characterization of rabies specific antibodies revealed two main classes of antibodies involved in the immune response of dogs vaccinated. While IgM antibodies were the first to appear, the succeeding IgG response was mainly IgG2 dominated independent of the vaccine type used. The results support the view that SPBN GASGAS induces a sustained detectable immune response in local dogs both after direct oral administration and via bait application.

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