The Successful Elimination of Sylvatic Rabies Using Oral Vaccination of Foxes in Slovenia
Sylvatic rabies was present in Slovenia between 1973 and 2013, with the red fox as the main reservoir of the rabies virus. The first oral rabies vaccination (ORV) control program in foxes started in 1988, using the manual distribution of baits. Significant improvement of fox vaccination was achieved...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/3/405 |
| _version_ | 1797414353725554688 |
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| author | Danijela Černe Peter Hostnik Ivan Toplak |
| author_facet | Danijela Černe Peter Hostnik Ivan Toplak |
| author_sort | Danijela Černe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sylvatic rabies was present in Slovenia between 1973 and 2013, with the red fox as the main reservoir of the rabies virus. The first oral rabies vaccination (ORV) control program in foxes started in 1988, using the manual distribution of baits. Significant improvement of fox vaccination was achieved with the aerial distribution of baits, starting in 1995 and successfully finished with the final, fifty-ninth vaccination campaign in 2019. Between 1979 and 2019, a total of 86,471 samples were tested, and 10,975 (12.69%) rabies-positive animals were identified. Within the ORV, two different vaccines were used, containing modified live virus strain Street Alabama Dufferin (SAD) B19 and SAD Bern, while the last ORV campaigns were completed in 2019, with a vaccine containing a genetically modified strain of SPBN GASGAS. Molecular epidemiological studies of 95 rabies-positive samples, originating from red foxes, badgers, cattle, dogs, martens, cats, and horses, revealed a low genetic diversity of circulating strains and high similarity to strains from neighboring countries. During the elimination program, few vaccine-induced rabies cases were detected: three in red foxes and one case in a marten, with no epidemiological relevance. Slovenia has been officially declared a country free of rabies since 2016. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:31:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f52eecbcde7349439033c606678ad634 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:31:50Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-f52eecbcde7349439033c606678ad6342023-12-03T12:32:34ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152021-03-0113340510.3390/v13030405The Successful Elimination of Sylvatic Rabies Using Oral Vaccination of Foxes in SloveniaDanijela Černe0Peter Hostnik1Ivan Toplak2Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Virology Unit, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaInstitute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Virology Unit, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaInstitute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Virology Unit, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaSylvatic rabies was present in Slovenia between 1973 and 2013, with the red fox as the main reservoir of the rabies virus. The first oral rabies vaccination (ORV) control program in foxes started in 1988, using the manual distribution of baits. Significant improvement of fox vaccination was achieved with the aerial distribution of baits, starting in 1995 and successfully finished with the final, fifty-ninth vaccination campaign in 2019. Between 1979 and 2019, a total of 86,471 samples were tested, and 10,975 (12.69%) rabies-positive animals were identified. Within the ORV, two different vaccines were used, containing modified live virus strain Street Alabama Dufferin (SAD) B19 and SAD Bern, while the last ORV campaigns were completed in 2019, with a vaccine containing a genetically modified strain of SPBN GASGAS. Molecular epidemiological studies of 95 rabies-positive samples, originating from red foxes, badgers, cattle, dogs, martens, cats, and horses, revealed a low genetic diversity of circulating strains and high similarity to strains from neighboring countries. During the elimination program, few vaccine-induced rabies cases were detected: three in red foxes and one case in a marten, with no epidemiological relevance. Slovenia has been officially declared a country free of rabies since 2016.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/3/405rabies virusSloveniaoral rabies vaccination (ORV) |
| spellingShingle | Danijela Černe Peter Hostnik Ivan Toplak The Successful Elimination of Sylvatic Rabies Using Oral Vaccination of Foxes in Slovenia Viruses rabies virus Slovenia oral rabies vaccination (ORV) |
| title | The Successful Elimination of Sylvatic Rabies Using Oral Vaccination of Foxes in Slovenia |
| title_full | The Successful Elimination of Sylvatic Rabies Using Oral Vaccination of Foxes in Slovenia |
| title_fullStr | The Successful Elimination of Sylvatic Rabies Using Oral Vaccination of Foxes in Slovenia |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Successful Elimination of Sylvatic Rabies Using Oral Vaccination of Foxes in Slovenia |
| title_short | The Successful Elimination of Sylvatic Rabies Using Oral Vaccination of Foxes in Slovenia |
| title_sort | successful elimination of sylvatic rabies using oral vaccination of foxes in slovenia |
| topic | rabies virus Slovenia oral rabies vaccination (ORV) |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/3/405 |
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