SAFETY STUDY OF THE SAG(2) RABIES VIRUS MUTANT IN SEVERAL NONTARGET SPECIES WITH A VIEW TO ITS FUTURE USE FOR THE IMMUNIZATION OF FOXES IN EUROPE

The safety of the SAG(2) virus, a low virulence mutant of the SAD stra in, was investigated in ten species of mammals and seven species of bi rds liable to consume vaccine baits. These species are the western hed gehog (Erinaceus europaeus), the meadow vole (Microtus arvalis), the b ank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus), the water vole (Arvicola terrestri s), the field mouse (Apodemus flavicollis or A. sylvaticus), the Norwa y mt (Rattus norvegicus), the european badger (Meles meles) the domest ic ferret (Mustela putorius furo), the wild boar (Sus scrofa), the dom estic goat (Capra hircus), the carrion crow (Corvus corone), the rook (Corvus frugilegus), the buzzard (Buteo buteo), the red kite (Milvus m ilvus), the tawny owl (Strix aluco), the long-eared owl (Asio otus) an d the barn owl (Tyto alba). The vaccine was administered orally to eac h species, by an intramuscular (i.m.) route to the rodents and ferret, and by an intracerebral route to the field mouse. No pathogenicity wa s observed in the 169 animals vaccinated throughout an observation per iod of over 30 days. After euthanasia, no rabies virus could be detect ed either in the brain or in the salivary glands of any of the animals . The SAG, virus administered orally, triggered a specific seroconvers ion in the field mouse, wild boar, ferret and most of the raptors. Fol lowing administration by the im. route, specific antibody titres were observed in most of the rodents, as well as in the ferrets. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.