Experimental rabies in skunks: oral, nasal, tracheal and intestinal exposure.

Striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) were exposed to challenge virus standard rabies virus by feeding infected mouse brain in suspension or as intact brain free choice, by forced feeding of suspension, and by intranasal, intratracheal and intraintestinal instillation of suspension. All of five skunks exposed intranasally, two of five exposed intratracheally and two of ten exposed by forced feeding developed rabies. None of the skunks exposed to challenge virus standard virus, by other methods, became rabid. Most of the survivors, when challenged intramuscularly with street rabies virus at six months, developed rabies. The results indicate that the skunk is much more susceptible to challenge virus standard rabies virus given intranasally than by the other methods used. When disease occurs following oral administration, infection may be associated with prolonged contact with buccal mucosa or accidental contact with nasal mucosa. Survivors had little or no protection when challenged intramuscularly with street rabies virus.     

Vaccination of ferrets (Putorius furo) against rabies using a tissue vaccine

The use of live tissue rabies vaccine from Vnukovo-32 strain produced by the Bioveta National Corporation at Ivanovice na Hané was tested on 15 ferrets (Putorius furo L. 1758). The 21st day after subcutaneous application of 3 ml of vaccine, the average titre of virus-neutralizing antibodies was 1 : 71.4, and after subcutaneous and intramuscular application of 1 ml of vaccine the average titre was 1:20.6 and 1 : 15.6, respectively. The challenge test was performed 52 weeks after vaccination: a dose of 10(5) MICLD50 of the street rabies virus was applied i. m. to the neck muscle. All the vaccinated animals survived. As indicated by the results of the trials, a good tolerance and full immunity of vaccinates to the infection with the street rabies virus was maintained for one year. 1 ml of vaccine diluted according to instructions and applied s. c. or i. m. was found to be sufficient.     

Studies of ERA/BHK-21 rabies vaccine in skunks and mice.

ERA rabies vaccine virus grown in BHK-21 13S cells (ERA/BHK-21) and street rabies virus were titrated in mice by intracerebral, intranasal and intramuscular inoculation. Mice were also given undiluted ERA/BHK-21 in baits. Skunks were given undiluted ERA/BHK-21 in baits and by intramuscular, intranasal and intestinal inoculation. Virus neutralizing antibody titers against rabies virus were measured over a three month observation period. The surviving skunks were challenged by intramuscular inoculation with rabies street virus from a skunk salivary gland suspension. When titrated in mice, ERA/BHK-21 had titers of 10(7.0), 10(5.2) and 10(3.9) median lethal doses per mL by the intracerebral, intranasal and intramuscular routes, respectively. All skunks (8/8) inoculated intranasally developed paralytic rabies by 12 days after exposure to ERA/BHK-21 virus. None of the skunks that developed vaccine-induced rabies had infectious virus in the submandibular salivary glands. Vaccine-induced rabies also occurred in 1/8 skunks in the intramuscularly inoculated group and in 1/8 in the intestinally inoculated group. The survival rates of challenged skunks in the various groups were as follows: intramuscular, 7/7; intestinal, 2/7; bait, 0/8; and control, 0/8. These results indicate that ERA/BHK-21 virus has a significant residual pathogenicity in mice and in skunks by some routes of inoculation. Skunks given vaccine intramuscularly were protected against challenge, while those skunks given the vaccine in baits were not.     

Testing for immunogenic and protective properties of vaccine against tissue-inactivated rabies

The immunogenic and protective potency was tested of vaccine against inactivated tissue rabies developed from the Vnukovo-32 strain, and produced in the Bioveta state corporation at Ivanovice in Haná. In 21 days after an i. m. application of 3 cm3 of vaccine, the average titre of virus-neutralizing antibodies was found to be 1:47. In this period the animals were revaccinated in the same way. The average titre of virus-neutralizing antibodies was 1:99 three months after revaccination, 1:57 in six months and 1:24 in nine months. In this period a challenge test was performed in a dog using the dose of 10(5) MICLD50 of street rabies virus. This dose was implanted i. m. into masticatory muscles. Another dog was infected experimentally 18 months after immunization. The experiment has proved the good immunogenic potency of vaccine against inactivated tissue rabies and its ability to induce the protection of vaccinated dogs from the strees infection with street rabies virus. The control rabies vaccine of foreign make RABISIN was tested in a similar way.     

Intranasal infection of Getah virus in experimental horses.

Aerosol transmission in equine Getah virus (GV) infection was examined by intranasal inoculation with 10(3.0) to 10(7.0) TCID50 of the MI-110 strain in 7 experimental horses. The establishment of intranasal infection of GV was confirmed in all these horses by detecting serum neutralizing antibody against the MI-110 strain. Horses inoculated with more than 10(4.0) TCID50 of the virus manifested mild pyrexia, eruptions, serous nasal discharge, lymphopenia or monocytosis. Viremia ranging from 10(1.0) to 10(3.5) TCID50/0.2 ml occurred in horses inoculated with 10(5.0) TCID50, or more. Virus recovery from the nasal cavity was observed only in horses inoculated with 10(7.0) TCID50, and the viral titers recorded were 10(3.0) TICD50/ml or less. From these results, it is assumed that GV disseminated from the nasal cavity of naturally infected horses, except for intranasal infection with a lot of the virus, is probably very low in titer. So it seems to be rare that GV in natural cycles is spread from horse to horse by aerosol transmission.     

Mutants of rabies viruses in skunks: immune response and pathogenicity.

In studies to develop an oral rabies vaccine for wildlife, the immune response to and pathogenicity of two types of mutants of rabies viruses were examined. Forty-five small plaque mutants were selected from cultures of ERA rabies virus treated with 8-azaguanine or 5-fluorouracil and tested for pathogenicity in mice. Two of these mutants AZA 1 and AZA 2 (low pathogenicity in mice) were given to skunks by oral (bait), intestinal (endoscope) and intramuscular routes. Additionally, challenge virus standard (CVS) rabies virus and mutants of this and ERA rabies virus (CVS 3766 and 3713, and ERA 3629) that were resistant to neutralization by specific antiglycoprotein monoclonal antibodies (and apathogenic in mice) were tested by various routes in skunks. Skunks given AZA 1 and AZA 2 were challenged at three months postinoculation with street rabies virus. After oral administration, there were very low rates of seroconversion with AZA 1 and AZA 2 and on challenge only 2/7 given AZA 1 and 1/8 given AZA 2 survived. None of the skunks given the other mutants orally seroconverted. AZA 2 produced a high rate of seroconversion (8/8) by the intestinal route and all challenged skunks in this group survived (7/7). All skunks vaccinated intramuscularly with AZA 1 (4/4) or AZA 2 (4/4) developed high levels of rabies neutralizing antibodies and survived challenge. The mutant CVS 3766, while apathogenic when given intracerebrally to adult mice, was consistently pathogenic by this route (and intranasally) in skunks. These results demonstrate that skunks are highly resistant to oral immunization by live rabies virus vaccines and that pathogenicity (by intracerebral route) of the mutant CVS 3766 is markedly different in mice and skunks.     

Rabies virus in the salivary glands and nasal mucosa of naturally infected skunks.

Several salivary glands and the nasal mucosa of rabid skunks (Mephitis mephitis) contained rabies virus. Generally titers were high in the submandibular, moderate in the parotid and low to moderate in the zygomatic, molar and sublingual salivary glands. The nasal mucosa (glands and epithelium) contained virus at low to moderate titers that occasionally were equal to titers in brain.     

Experimental rabies in skunks: Immune response and salivary gland infection

Groups of striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) were inoculated intramuscularly with graded doses of street rabies virus. At various intervals after inoculation, saliva and sera were tested for rabies virus and neutralizing antibodies, respectively. Skunks that developed rabies were killed in terminal stages of the disease and the following examinations were made: titers of virus and antibody in submandibular salivary glands and brain, extent of immunofluorescence in submandibular salivary glands, and histologic examination of various tissues.

Skunks that received inocula containing 4 × 10⁴ to 4 × 10⁵ mouse intracerebral lethal dose₅₀ (MICLD₅₀) had detectable serum neutralizing antibodies by 7–12 days postinoculation; however, most of the skunks that received lower doses (40 to 4 × 10³ MICLD₅₀) did not have detectable serum neutralizing antibodies until clinical signs began. In the salivary glands, slight and extensive immunofluorescence corresponded to high and low titers of tissue neutralizing antibody. Also low viral titers were associated with high tissue neutralizing antibody titers. There was a close correlation between viral titers in right and left submandibular salivary glands.

The results suggest that the immune response can impede the process of infection of the salivary glands resulting in lack of antigen or low amounts of antigen in this tissue. This could occur through interference with centrifugal neural transport of virus and/or neutralization of virus during transfer from neural elements to epithelial cells. Lack of infectious virus or low viral titers in salivary glands containing antigen and high levels of tissue neutralizing antibodies can be caused partly by postmortem virus neutralization (during viral titration).     

Immunogenicity and efficacy of the oral rabies vaccine SAD B19 in foxes

Studies on the immunogenicity and efficacy of SAD B19 attenuated rabies virus vaccine in foxes under laboratory conditions were conducted. Twenty-seven foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were offered a vaccine bait containing 10(6.3) FFU/ml SAD B19. Blood samples were collected 60, 110 and 190 days post-vaccination. On day 190 post vaccination the animals and 14 controls were challenged with a canid street rabies virus. Twenty-four of the 26 vaccinated foxes (92.3%) survived the challenge, whereas all the controls died from rabies. The two vaccinated foxes that did not survive the challenge did not show any detectable level of rabies neutralizing antibodies at any time after vaccination. The geometric mean titres (GMT) of foxes that seroconverted after vaccination were 43.5, 33.9 and 43.5 IU/ml 60, 110 and 190 days post-vaccination, respectively. Furthermore, to test the vaccine virus under sub-optimal conditions five naive and nine previously vaccinated vixens received 2 ml SAD B19 (10(6.7) FFU/ml) by direct administration of the vaccine virus into the oral cavity shortly before or during pregnancy. All vixens seroconverted above the threshold of 0.5 IU/ml. No booster effect was observed in the immune response of the previously vaccinated animals.     

Distribution of rabies virus in infected mice,vaccinated and submitted to P. acnes as immunomodulator

The lethality and distribution of rabies virus were evaluated in swiss mice experimentally infected with street rabies virus, vaccinated and submitted to immunomodulation by P .acnes (formerly Corynebacterium parvum). The animals were sacrificed at different times,when the different tissues were collected and submitted to fluorescent antibody test (FAT) and mouse inoculation test (MIT). The group submitted to vaccination and P. acnes treatment presented a percentage of survival superior to that observed in infected mice only treated with P. acnes. Control infected animals had the lowest survival rates.The distribution of rabies virus in spleen of infected mice, vaccinated and submitted to P. acnes was superior to that verified in infected mice not treated with P.acnes. The increased survival correlated with the distribution of rabies virus in lymphoid tissues, could be interpreted as the consequence of P. acnes activity on macrophages. The results suggest the role of macrophages against rabies virus infection in mice and the importance of vaccination in the post expositive treatment of rabies.     

Infection of Bergmann glia in the cerebellum of a skunk experimentally infected with street rabies virus.

Rabies virus is a highly neuronotropic virus and glial cell infection is not prominent in the central nervous system (CNS). Paraffin-embedded tissues from the cerebella of skunks experimentally infected with either a skunk salivary gland isolate of street rabies virus or the challenge virus standard (CVS) strain of fixed rabies virus were examined with immunoperoxidase staining for rabies virus antigen by using an anti-rabies virus nucleocapsid protein monoclonal antibody. A skunk infected with street rabies virus showed prominent infection of Bergmann glia. Although infected Purkinje cells were observed, they usually demonstrated a relatively small amount of antigen in their perikarya. A CVS-infected skunk showed many intensely labeled Purkinje cells and a relatively small number of infected Bergmann glia. These findings indicate that although rabies virus is a highly neuronotropic virus, street rabies virus strains do not always demonstrate strict neuronotropism in the central nervous system.     

The safety and efficacy of immunizing foxes (Vulpes vulpes) using bait containing attenuated rabies virus vaccine.

Foxes given ERA rabies vaccine baits were challenged at one, six, 12 and 24 months later and showed a resistance to challenge in 80%, 78%, 60% and 44% of individuals respectively. All animals showing seroconversion following vaccination, resisted challenge at 24 months, suggesting that successful vaccination by the oral route could confer a relatively long term duration of immunity. The trials showed that fox pups did not immunize as easily as adult foxes using ERA rabies vaccine baits. Back-passage studies and the consumption of ERA injected mice by foxes failed to show any reversion of the vaccine virus to a virulent state. The fox and mouse are shown to be highly susceptible to rabies street virus, while the domestic species tested are consisderably more resistant. Monkeys were found to be intermediate in susceptibility to the virus. Safety tests carried out on various species of wildlife showed only the mouse to be susceptible to infection from ingesting the vaccine in the form of a bait. ERA rabies vaccine was shown to be safe in monkeys even when high titred virus was administered by the oral route.     

Survival of rabies virus under external conditions

The survival of the street rabies virus in a 10% suspension, prepared from the salivary gland of a naturally infected fox, was studied under various conditions. A bioassay and titration on mice were used for the identification of the virus in different intervals. The heat inactivation of the virus in a suspension kept in a test tube at the temperatures of 20 degrees C and 37 degrees C was performed in two stages. The rapid reduction of the titre within 24 hours was followed by a slower decrease, reaching total inactivation after 96 hours at both temperatures. When the virus was tested by means of the contamination of various substrates (glass, metal sheet, plant leaf) with 0.1 ml of infection suspension in a thin layer, the longest survival of the virus was recorded at the temperature of 5 degrees C--144 hours. At the temperature of 20 to 21 degrees C the virus kept its activity on the glass and plant leaf for 24 hours and on the metal sheet for 48 hours although the applied drops looked like having dried. The temperature of 30 degrees C combined with intensive sunshine devitalized the virus within 1.5 hours, whereas without sunshine the virus still remained active, at the temperature of 30 degrees C, after 20 hours.     

An epidemic of sylvatic rabies in Finland--descriptive epidemiology and results of oral vaccination.

When rabies reappeared in Finland in April 1988, the country had been rabies free since 1959. Soon a picture of sylvatic rabies become evident, its main vector and victim being the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides). Between 8 April 1988 and 16 February 1989, 66 virologically verified cases were recorded (48 raccoon dogs, 12 red foxes, 2 badgers, 2 cats, 1 dog and 1 dairy bull) in an area estimated at 1700 km2 in south-eastern Finland. The greatest distance between recorded cases was 67 km. A positive reaction with monoclonal antibody p-41 indicated that the virus was an arctic-type strain. A field trial on oral immunization of small predators was initiated in September 1988 using Tübingen fox baits according to the Bavarian model of bait distribution. Each bait contained 5*10(7) TCID50/ml modified live rabies virus (SAD-B19). The 6 months' surveillance indicate a seroconversion rate of 72% (N = 126) in the raccoon dog population, 67% (N = 56) in the red foxes and 13% (N = 16) in the badgers, when titers greater than or equal to 1.0 IU/ml are considered seropositive. In the whole follow-up period, no statistically significant difference could be detected between the raccoon dogs and red foxes in the rate of seroconversion or in the uptake of tetracycline from the baits. Notably high antibody levels were recorded in both raccoon dogs and red foxes within 4-5 months after vaccination. Of the seropositive animals, the proportion of animals with titers 3.0 IU/ml or greater was higher in raccoon dogs (73%) than in red foxes (51%) (x2 = 5.29, p less than 0.05). The trial shows that raccoon dogs can be immunized against rabies in the field with vaccine baits originally developed for controlling sylvatic rabies in foxes.     

Cell-mediated immune response to rabies virus in dogs following vaccination and challenge

Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from non-vaccinated dogs and from dogs either vaccinated intramuscularly (IM) or subcutaneously (SC) with an inactivated rabies virus vaccine (Rabguard-TC, Norden Laboratories, Lincoln, NE) or intramuscularly with an attenuated rabies virus vaccine (Endurall-R, Norden Laboratories, Lincoln, NE) were exposed in vitro to rabies virus. Blastogenesis of PBL was measured by incorporation of 3H-thymidine into the DNA of proliferating cells in the presence of a suboptimal concentration of phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Following the first vaccination, there was no difference in the blastogenic response of lymphocytes from dogs vaccinated IM with either the inactivated or attenuated rabies virus vaccines. The inactivated rabies vaccine stimulated as great or greater blastogenic response when it was given SC. The PBL from non-vaccinated control dogs were not stimulated by rabies virus. Dogs vaccinated with the inactivated vaccine developed a lymphocyte blastogenic response to rabies virus following challenge with virulent street rabies virus. Nonvaccinated control dogs did not develop a lymphocyte blastogenic response to rabies virus following challenge with virulent street rabies virus.     

Natural killer activity in mice infected with rabies virus and submitted to P. acnes (Propionibacterium acnes) as immunomodulator

The natural killer (NK) activity and lethality were evaluated in swiss mice experimentally infected with street rabies virus and submitted to immunomodulation by P. acnes (formerly Corynebacterium parvum). The infected animals were sacrificed at different times and spleen non-adherent cells were obtained through ficoll-hypaque gradient and depletion of glass-adherent cells. Immunosuppression was observed in rabies virus infected mice correlated with lower NK activity in clinically ill animals. Higher NK activity and percentual of survival were observed in the group submitted to P. acnes. The increased survival correlated with higher NK activity induced by P. acnes suggests a protective role of this natural barrier against rabies virus infection in mice.     

Association between cancer chemotherapy and canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus, and rabies virus antibody titers in tumor-bearing dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between cancer chemotherapy and serum canine distemper virus (CDV), canine parvovirus (CPV), and rabies virus antibody titers in tumor-bearing dogs. DESIGN: Prospective study. ANIMALS: 21 client-owned dogs with various malignancies and 16 client-owned dogs with lymphoma. PROCEDURE: In study A, serum antibody titers were measured by use of hemagglutination inhibition (CPV titers) or serum neutralization (CDV titers) before and at least 1 month after initiation of chemotherapy. Baseline values were compared with values obtained from a control population of 122 healthy dogs seen for routine revaccination. Titers were considered protective at > or = 1:96 for CDV and > or = 1:80 for CPV. In study B, serum IgG titers were measured by use of immunofluorescent assay (CDV and CPV titers) and rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT, rabies titers) at baseline and again at weeks 5, 8, and 24 of a standard chemotherapy protocol for treatment of lymphoma. An IgG titer of > or = 1:50 was considered protective for CPV and CDV. An RFFIT titer of > or = 0.5 U/ml was considered protective for rabies virus. RESULTS: Significant changes were not detected in CDV, CPV, and rabies virus titers following chemotherapy in tumor-bearing dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that established immunity to CDV, CPV, and rabies virus from previous vaccination is not significantly compromised by standard chemotherapy used to treat tumor-bearing dogs.     

Vaccination of calves against bovine herpesvirus-1: assessment of the protective value of eight vaccines

Eight separate, but related experiments, were carried out in which groups of six calves were vaccinated with one of eight commercial vaccines. In each experiment the vaccinated calves were subsequently exposed to three calves infected with virulent bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1). In each experiment, all infected donor calves developed a typical severe infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) infection and excreted virus in their nasal secretions of up to 10(8.00) TCID50/0.1 ml. One live BHV-1 gE-negative vaccine (A) and three modified live vaccines (B, C, D), administered intranasally, all protected against clinical disease. The calves vaccinated with one vaccine (C) also did not excrete virus in the nasal secretions, whereas the calves protected by vaccines A, B and D excreted virus in their nasal secretions but at low titres (10(0.66)-10(1.24) TCID50/0.1 ml). A fourth modified live vaccine (E), given intramuscularly, failed to prevent mild clinical disease in the calves which also excreted virus in the nasal secretions at titre of 10(1.00) TCID50/0.1 ml. An analogous result was given by the calves vaccinated with either of the two inactivated vaccines (F and G) or with a BHV-1 subunit vaccine (H). All calves developed mild clinical signs and excreted virus at titres of 10(2.20)-10(3.12) TCID50/0.1 ml. Calves vaccinated with C vaccine were subsequently given dexamethasone, following which virus was recovered from their nasal secretions. The virus isolates did not cause disease when calves were infected and appeared to be closely related to the vaccine strain.     

检测狂犬病病毒抗原的夹心间接Dot—ELISA的建立和应用研究

本研究建立了检测狂犬病病毒抗原的夹心间接斑点酶联免疫吸附试验(SI-Dot-ELISA).本法检出狂犬病病毒抗原的最低浓度为:0.01IU/mL的标准抗原,1:100000 (相当于20 LD_(50))的狂犬病病毒CVS株和鹿8202株的鼠脑悬液,1:400(相当于7906TCID_(50)/mL)的狂犬病病毒SAG株的细胞培养物.对多种健康动物的组织、健康细胞培养物以及犬瘟热病毒、犬腺病毒等检测均为阴性.用SI—Dot—ELISA、夹心间接ELISA(SI—ELISA)和小鼠脑内接种3种方法,检测了388份材料,检出的阳性份数分别为173、171和179,经统计学处理,3种方法在狂犬病病毒抗原的检测上,可以相互代替.甲醛灭活病毒不影响本方法的检测,而加入氢氧化铝胶后的病毒悬液则不能用本法检测.本法适用于狂犬病的诊断、流行病学调查、疫苗效价的测定和实验研究中病毒抗原的测定.     

Evaluation of cytokines concentration and percentage of survival of rabies virus-infected mice submitted to anti-rabies Vero-cell propagated vaccine and P. acnes

Previously, survival of rabies infection was shown to correlate with low IL-6 serum concentration in mice subjected to post-exposure treatment with the Fuenzalida Palacios rabies vaccine in conjunction with the immunomodulator Propionibacterium acnes, previously Corynebacterium parvum. Considering the substitution of the Fuenzalida Palacios rabies vaccine by the Vero cell raised anti-rabies vaccine in almost all countries, the objective of this work was to evaluate the survival and cytokine serum concentration of rabies virus-infected mice treated with P. acnes in conjunction with or the anti-rabies-VERO vaccine. For this, Swiss mice were experimentally infected with street rabies virus and subjected to vaccine and/or P. acnes following infection. Animals were killed at different times and serum was collected to evaluate cytokines. The greatest survival was observed in animals given one or two does of P. acnes in the absence of vaccination. Animals given anti-rabies VERO vaccine alone or with three doses of P. acnes had the second highest survival rate. The group that had the highest percentage of mortality also had the highest IL-6 concentration on the 10th day, a time correlating with clinical symptoms of the animals. The results reinforce the inefficacy of anti-rabies vaccine in only one dose as a post-exposure treatment irrespective of the type of vaccine used, the immunomodulation activity of P. acnes in rabies post-exposure treatment and suggest a role for IL-6 in rabies virus pathogenesis.