EFFICACY OF SAD (BERNE) RABIES VACCINE GIVEN BY THE ORAL ROUTE IN 2 SPECIES OF JACKAL (CANIS-MESOMELAS AND CANIS-ADUSTUS)

Eight black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) and seven side-striped ja ckals (Canis adustus) were given SAD (Berne) rabies vaccine by direct oral instillation. Three different vaccine doses were used: 10(6.3), 1 0(6.8) and 10(7.5) median tissue culture infectious doses. Two additio nal jackals were given vaccine in chicken heads. One group of jackals was challenged with a lethal dose of jackal-derived rabies virus 1 mo after vaccination and a second group 12 mo after vaccination. All 17 v accinated jackals developed high and persistent serum neutralizing ant ibody titers. All challenged jackals resisted a lethal dose of rabies virus, whereas three control jackals given the same challenge succumbe d to rabies.