Rabbit haemorrhagic disease: an investigation of some properties of the virus and evaluation of an inactivated vaccine. |
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Authors: | B Smíd L Valícek L Rodák J St?pánek E Jurák |
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Institution: | Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czechoslovakia. |
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Abstract: | An inactivated vaccine against rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD), developed and tested in our laboratory, is produced commercially by Bioveta, Ivanovice, Czechoslovakia. Rabbits developed full protection against infection 3 weeks after the administration of a single dose. Antibodies were detectable from day 5 after vaccination. Naturally acquired antibodies were demonstrated in some rabbits kept on commercial farms. The virus survived at least 225 days in an organ suspension kept at 4 degrees C, at least 105 days in the dried state on cloth at room temperature (around 20 degrees C), and at least 2 days at 60 degrees C, both in organ suspension and in the dry state. Experimental infection of rabbits younger than 2 months was successful in some animals. Hares, guinea pigs, white mice, golden and Chinese hamsters, chinchillas and hysterectomy-derived, colostrum-deprived piglets were resistant to infection. |
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