CURRENT KNOWLEDGE ON THE ORAL VACCINES OF WILDLIFE AGAINST RABIES - VIRUS-STRAINS, BAITS

After a brief review of the history of oral immunization of wildlife a gainst rabies, the requirements of the orally applicable vaccine virus es, indicated by Schneider, 1985, have been summarized. During the pas t 20 years, several fur virus strains were investigated from the point of view of these requirements. Of them, the SAD-Bern and its cloned v ariant, the SAD-B19 Tubingen strains, the SAD Pots-dam 5/88 and SAG1, originated from the SAD (Street Alabama Dufferin) fix virus strain, fu lfilled these requirements. The vaccines prepared from these fix virus es proved to be effective under extreme weather conditions, harmless f or several laboratory animals, wildlife and domestic animals and stabl e genetically. The viruses are not excreted from the vaccinated animal s and monoclonal antibodies are available for their identification. Th e recombinant V-RG rabies vaccine virus inserted in the genome of vacc inia virus (Copenhaguen strain) is also fits for these requirements, h owever the resistance of that virus is higher than that of other fix v iruses. More important commercial oral vaccines against rabies and bai ts - together with their composition and requirements, as indicated by Wandeler (1986) - and their application up to now have been summarize d in a Table.