Published in Scientific Papers. Series D. Animal Science, Vol. LIX
Written by Vlad VUTA, Gheorghe BARBOI, Dragos BONCEA, Florica BARBUCEANU, Constantin VLAGIOIU
Rabies is a fatal zoonotic viral disease produced by a Lyssavirus and is causing more than 70,000 human deaths each year. In Romania foxes are the main wildlife reservoir. Oral rabies (ORV) vaccination of this specie is the most effective method to control and eventually eradicate rabies. Supported by co-financing program between Romania and European Union, successive ORV campaigns were conducted. Monitoring of the effectiveness of oral vaccination campaign has been carried out continuously from 2011 and was based on: (i) post-mortem laboratory examination of brain tissue of foxes by fluorescent antibodytest (FAT), (ii) detection of antibodies against rabies virus in thoracic liquid by ELISA, (iii) detection of tetracycline biomarker in teeth for the evaluation of vaccine bait uptake and (iv) discrimination between wild and vaccinated rabies virus strains by PCR and sequencing techniques. The laboratory analysis of 2014 campaign revealed 31.18% seropositivity and detection of tetracycline biomarker in 55.4% of the foxes tested. No vaccine-induced rabies cases occurred and all positive foxes (1.33%) were infected with wild rabies strains present in Romania.
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