ORAL IMMUNIZATION OF FREE-LIVING RED FOXE S AGAINST RABIES IN SLOVAKIA DURING THE YEAR 1994

The year 1994 was the first year of a three-year plan (1994 - 1996), w hen an oral antirabies vaccination of free-living red foxes (Vulpes vu lpes) was carried out on the whole territory of Slovakia. For the spri ng vaccination campaign vaccine baits Kamark and Lysvulpen, for the au tumn campaign the baits Kamark were used. During both campaigns altoge ther 1.350.000 vaccine baits were manually distributed. In accordance with WHO recommendations corresponding control examinations were perfo rmed. Acceptance control of the vaccine baits was performed in the con trol areas (300 ha) on day 3, 8 and 14 after bait distribution. Accept ance of baits was convenient (37.1, 66.7 and 81.0%, respectively). For laboratory and control examinations material obtained from foxes hunt ed in the vaccine zones was used. The biomarker tetracycline was detec ted in the bones of 56.9% of the animals examined. Rabies antibodies w ere detected by the ELISA technique in 89% of pleural transudates. In comparative examinations these results were confirmed by the virusneut ralizing test. Altogether 75 rabies virus strains were isolated and by means of monoclonal antibodies identified as street strains.