Authors : Elizabeth Loza-Rubio , Jose Ernesto Weimersheimer Rubi and Alvaro Aguilar-Setien
Abstract: Now that canine rabies in Mexico has been controlled, most of human and animal cases are due to variants from wildlife: vampire bats, skunks and others. Although, most variants are similar in their genome, a skunk variant from Baja California Sur differs up to 19% in its genome from other rabies isolates. We wanted to test the efficiency of various commercial veterinary and human vaccines in protecting this and other wildlife viruses; the inactivated PV strain vaccine used in dog vaccination campaigns in Mexico; the recombinant vaccinia-rabies VRG vaccine, usually used by oral route was administered by parenteral route; the human vaccine produced in diploid cells (PM 3-1503 strain) and the human-used vaccine produced in VERO cells (PM strain). Three different isolates were used as challenges viruses: vampire bat, lynx/fox and hypervariable skunk virus. The protection proffered was tested by the NIH test. All 4 vaccines tested protected above the WHO’s requirements: VRG administered intramuscularly conferred the highest protection (> 5 IU). All vaccines evaluated were efficient against the skunk isolate (>5, 4, 4 and 7 IU, respectively). PV strain vaccine conferred the least protection. All vaccines tested were efficient against the hypervariable skunk isolate and also the other wildlife strain tested.
Elizabeth Loza-Rubio , Jose Ernesto Weimersheimer Rubi and Alvaro Aguilar-Setien , 2008. Cross-Protection of Different Vaccines Against Three Divergent Wild Animal Mexican Molecular Variants of Rabies Virus. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 7: 140-144.