Comparison of the serological responses in pigs after oral vaccination against classical swine fever using two different types of bait.

As a complementary tool for control of classical swine fever (CSF) in wild boar vaccine baits containing the attenuated and highly efficacious C-strain have been distributed in several countries. Several issues have been identified with the present available bait system, like relatively low uptake by piglets, melting point and mechanical stability. Hence, an alternative bait system has been developed including a more thermo-stable bait matrix and vaccine container.

Oral rabies vaccination of foxes in Türkiye, 2019-2022.

Background: Rabies in Turkey is maintained by dogs, but following a sustained spill-over, red fox mediated rabies had spread from the Aegean region to the central part of Türkiye. During the past four years from 2019 to 2023 large scale efforts used oral rabies vaccination (ORV) to control rabies in red foxes. Here, we present the results of the largest ORV campaign on the Asian continent.

Evaluation of Bait Acceptance and Immune Response in Local Dogs during an Oral Rabies Vaccination Field Study in Morocco.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the bait preference of three selected bait types by local dogs and the induced immunogenicity of the oral rabies vaccine strain SPBN GASGAS in Morocco. The vaccine strain, combined with different bait types, has been tested in many different settings, but not yet in northern Africa. Overall, bait consumption and preference were similar in other studies using the same materials (bait type and sachet).

Long-term immunity induced by SPBN GASGAS in orally vaccinated dogs is non-inferior to inactivated rabies vaccines.

In a long-term immunogenicity study (1100 days post vaccination) in local Thai dogs the immune response of the oral rabies vaccine SPBN GASGAS was compared to those elicited by a commercial inactivated vaccine using immunobridging. Based on the detection of rabies virus binding (rVBA) and rabies virus neutralizing antibodies (rVNA) as measured by ELISA and Rapid Fluorescent Focus Inhibition Test (RFFIT) the long-term immune response in dogs vaccinated orally with the SPBNA GASGAS strain of rabies vaccine in a bait was non-inferior to a conventional inactivated rabies vaccine. The outcome of this study supports extending the originally claimed duration of immunity (DOI) of SPBN GASGAS after oral vaccination for dogs from 6 to 30 months.

Immunogenicity of Oral Rabies Vaccine Strain SPBN GASGAS in Local Dogs in Bali, Indonesia.

Dog-mediated rabies is endemic in much of Indonesia, including Bali. Most dogs in Bali are free-roaming and often inaccessible for parenteral vaccination without special effort. Oral rabies vaccination (ORV) is considered a promising alternative to increase vaccination coverage in these dogs.

Efficacy of Oral Rabies Vaccine Baits Containing SPBN GASGAS in Domestic Dogs According to International Standards.

(1) Background: The oral vaccination of free-roaming dogs against rabies has been developed as a promising complementary tool for mass dog vaccination. However, no oral rabies vaccine has provided efficacy data in dogs according to international standards. (2) Methods: To test the immunogenicity and efficacy of the third-generation oral rabies virus vaccine strain, SPBN GASGAS, in domestic dogs, dogs were offered an egg-flavoured bait containing 3.

Oral Rabies Vaccine Strain SPBN GASGAS: Genetic Stability after Serial In Vitro and In Vivo Passaging.

Oral vaccination of wildlife has shown to be a very effective management tool in rabies control. Evaluation of the genetic stability of vaccine viruses before distributing vaccine baits in the environment is essential because all available oral rabies vaccines, including the genetically engineered rabies virus vaccine strain SPBN GASGAS (Rabitec), are based on replication-competent viruses. To evaluate the genetic stability of this vaccine strain, five serial passages of the Master Seed Virus (MSV) in the production cell line BHK21 Cl13 were performed.

Immunogenicity of the Oral Rabies Vaccine Strain SPBN GASGAS in Dogs Under Field Settings in Namibia.

Dog-mediated rabies is endemic throughout Africa. While free-roaming dogs that play a crucial role in rabies transmission are often inaccessible for parenteral vaccination during mass dog vaccination campaigns, oral rabies vaccination (ORV) is considered to be a promising alternative to increase vaccination coverage in these hard-to-reach dogs. The acceptance of ORV as an efficient supplementary tool is still low, not least because of limited immunogenicity and field trial data in local dogs.

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

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.

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

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.

Feasibility and Effectiveness Studies with Oral Vaccination of Free-Roaming Dogs against Rabies in Thailand.

(1) Background: Thailand has made significant progress in reducing the number of human and animal rabies cases. However, control and elimination of the last remaining pockets of dog-mediated rabies have shown to be burdensome, predominantly as a result of the large numbers of free-roaming dogs without an owner that cannot be restrained without special efforts and therefore remain unvaccinated. To reach these dogs, the feasibility, and benefits of oral rabies vaccination (ORV) as a complementary tool has been examined under field conditions.

Towards rabies elimination in the Asia-Pacific region: From theory to practice.

Rabies is a major neglected zoonotic disease and causes a substantial burden in the Asian region. Currently, Pacific Oceania is free of rabies but enzootic areas throughout southeast Asia represent a major risk of disease introduction to this region. On September 25-26, 2019, researchers, government officials and related stakeholders met at an IABS conference in Bangkok, Thailand to engage on the topic of human rabies mediated by dogs.

Placebo Oral Rabies Vaccine Bait Uptake by Small Indian Mongooses () in Southwestern Puerto Rico.

The small Indian mongoose () is a rabies reservoir in areas of the Caribbean including Puerto Rico, but no rabies vaccination program targeting this host exists. We used two derivatives of iophenoxic acid (IPA) to evaluate placebo oral rabies vaccine bait uptake by mongooses in southwestern Puerto Rico. We hand-distributed baits at an application rate of 200 baits/km at three, 400 ha, sites during autumn 2016 and spring 2017.

Development of a Non-Meat-Based, Mass Producible and Effective Bait for Oral Vaccination of Dogs against Rabies in Goa State, India.

To achieve the global goal of canine-mediated human rabies elimination by 2030 there is an urgent need to scale-up mass dog vaccination activities in regions with large dog populations that are difficult to access; a common situation in much of India. Oral rabies vaccination may enable the vaccination of free-roaming dogs that are inaccessible to parenteral vaccination, and is considered a promising complementary measure to parenteral mass dog vaccination campaigns. WHO and OIE have published detailed minimum requirements for rabies vaccines and baits to be used for this purpose, requiring that baits must not only be well-accepted by the target population but must also efficiently release the vaccine in the oral cavity.

Analysis of Iophenoxic Acid Analogues in Small Indian Mongoose (Herpestes Auropunctatus) Sera for Use as an Oral Rabies Vaccination Biological Marker.

The small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) is a reservoir of rabies virus (RABV) in Puerto Rico and comprises over 70% of animal rabies cases reported annually. The control of RABV circulation in wildlife reservoirs is typically accomplished by a strategy of oral rabies vaccination (ORV). Currently no wildlife ORV program exists in Puerto Rico.

Environmental distribution of certain modified live-virus vaccines with a high safety profile presents a low-risk, high-reward to control zoonotic diseases.

Oral vaccines aid immunization of hard to reach animal populations but often contain live-attenuated viruses that pose risks of reversion to virulence or residual pathogenicity. Human risk assessment is crucial prior to vaccine field distribution but there is currently no standardized approach. We mapped exposure pathways by which distribution of oral vaccines may result in inoculation into people and applied a Markov chain to estimate the number of severe adverse events.

Experimental screening studies on rabies virus transmission and oral rabies vaccination of the Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros).

Rabies in the Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) in Namibia is unique and found in such magnitude as has not been reported elsewhere in southern Africa. Reasons as to why Kudus appear to be exceptionally susceptible to rabies still remain speculative at best. Because the current severe rabies endemic in Kudus continues to have an enormous negative impact on the Namibian agricultural sector, we set out to question existing dogmas regarding the epidemiology of the disease in a unique experimental setting.

In Vivo Safety Studies With SPBN GASGAS in the Frame of Oral Vaccination of Foxes and Raccoon Dogs Against Rabies.

In order to obtain Marketing Authorization for an oral rabies vaccine in the European Union, not only safety studies in the target species, red fox and raccoon dog, are required. Since baits are distributed unsupervised in the environment, specific safety studies in selected non-target species are compulsory. Furthermore, oral rabies vaccines are based on live, replication-competent viruses and thus distinct safety studies in the target species for such type of vaccines are also mandatory.

Field Studies Evaluating Bait Acceptance and Handling by Free-Roaming Dogs in Thailand.

(1) Background: As part of the ongoing endeavor to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies in Thailand, renewed interest has been shown in oral vaccination of dogs as a supplementary tool to increase vaccination coverage of the dog population. (2) Methods: Three different bait types were tested using a hand-out model on the campus of the Kasetsart University and the surrounding temples in Thailand during September 2017, consisting of two industrial manufactured baits (fish meal and egg-flavored) and one bait made from local material (boiled pig intestine placed in collagen casing). A PVC-capsule containing dyed water was inserted in the bait.

Safety studies with the oral rabies virus vaccine strain SPBN GASGAS in the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus).

Background: Oral vaccination of the small Indian mongoose against rabies has been suggested as a potential tool to eliminate mongoose-mediated rabies on several Caribbean islands. A recently developed oral rabies virus vaccine strain, SPBN GASGAS, has already been shown to be efficacious in this reservoir species. Since, all available oral rabies vaccines are based on replication-competent viruses and vaccine baits are distributed unsupervised in the environment, enhanced safety standards for such vaccine types are required.

An assessment of shedding with the oral rabies virus vaccine strain SPBN GASGAS in target and non-target species.

A safety requirement for live vaccines is investigating possible shedding in recipients since the presence of replication competent vaccine in secretions could result in direct and indirect horizontal transmission. This is especially relevant for oral rabies vaccine baits that are deliberately distributed into the environment. In the current study, survival of an oral rabies virus vaccine, SPBN GASGAS, was examined in excretions from different target and non-target species; red fox, raccoon dog, small Indian mongoose, raccoon, striped skunk, domestic dog, domestic cat and domestic pig.

Baiting studies on oral vaccination of the greater kudu () against rabies.

Rabies in the greater kudu (), one of the largest African antelopes, is a phenomenon unique to Namibia. Since the mid-1970s, the country has been plagued by two epizootics that claimed thousands of casualties among the indigenous kudu population. Reasons as to why kudus appear to be exceptionally susceptible to the disease still remain speculative at best.