Oral Rabies Vaccination of Small Indian Mongooses (Urva auropunctata) with ONRAB via Ultralite Baits.

Are R Berentsen,Israel L Leinbach,Amy T Gilbert,Mel J Rivera-Rodriguez

doi:10.3390/v13050734

Abstract

The Ontario Rabies Vaccine (ONRAB) is a human adenovirus rabies glycoprotein recombinant oral vaccine immunogenic for small Indian mongooses when delivered by direct instillation into the oral cavity. We offered Ultralite baits containing ~1.8 mL 109.5 TCID50 ONRAB oral rabies vaccine to 18 mongooses, while 6 mongooses were offered identical baits in placebo form. We collected sera from individual mongooses at days 0, 14 and 30 post vaccination (pv) and quantified rabies virus neutralizing antibodies (RVNA) using the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test, with titers greater than or equal to 0.1 IU/mL considered positive. All study subjects were RVNA negative prior to bait offering. Bait consumption was variable: all 6 sham and 13 of 18 (72%) treatment animals consumed/punctured the baits offered. By day 30 pv, RVNA were detected among 11 of 13 (84.6%) of treatment mongooses that consumed/punctured baits, whereas sham-vaccinated mongooses remained RVNA negative throughout the study. We conclude ONRAB is immunogenic for mongooses by Ultralite bait delivery, although the bait design may need further optimization.

Highlights

Covadonga Alonso and Karla HelbigThe small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata; formerly Herpestes auropunctatus) is a rabies reservoir on Puerto Rico and other Caribbean Islands [1]
Our research suggests that Ontario Rabies Vaccine (ONRAB) is immunogenic for mongooses when delivered via the Ultralite bait and 84.6% of treatment animals that consumed/punctured baits demonstrated induction of rabies virus neutralizing antibodies (RVNA) by day 30 pv
Of the 18 treatment mongooses in this study, 2 mongooses that punctured/chewed baits did not demonstrate RVNA seroconversion, suggesting inefficient oral contact with the vaccine or vaccine spillage from the bait during handling, and 5 treatment animals did not interact with baits at all

Summary

Introduction

Covadonga Alonso and Karla HelbigThe small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata; formerly Herpestes auropunctatus) is a rabies reservoir on Puerto Rico and other Caribbean Islands [1]. In the United States and Europe, oral rabies vaccination (ORV) is an important tool in managing rabies in wild carnivores [2,3]. No oral rabies vaccine is licensed for use with mongooses. The product currently licensed for use with raccoons (Procyon lotor) and coyotes (Canis latrans) in the United States (RABORAL V-RG, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, Athens, GA, USA) is reportedly not immunogenic for mongooses [4]. ONRAB was immunogenic for small Indian mongooses when delivered by direct instillation into the oral cavity [10], but a bait format for oral delivery has not been attempted.

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