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1 October 2008 PREVALENCE OF TETRACYCLINE AND RABIES VIRUS ANTIBODY IN RACCOONS, SKUNKS, AND FOXES FOLLOWING AERIAL DISTRIBUTION OF V-RG BAITS TO CONTROL RACCOON RABIES IN ONTARIO, CANADA
R. Rosatte, M. Allan, P. Bachmann, K. Sobey, D. Donovan, J. C. Davies, A. Silver, K. Bennett, L. Brown, B. Stevenson, T. Buchanan, L. Bruce, A. Wandeler, C. Fehlner-Gardiner, A. Beresford, A. Beath, M. Escobar, J. Maki, C. Schumacher
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Abstract

More than 3.6 million baits containing a recombinant vaccinia virus–rabies glycoprotein (V-RG) oral rabies vaccine were aerially or hand-distributed during 1999–2006 in an approximate 4,000-9,000 km2 area of eastern Ontario, Canada, as part of a multitactic approach to control the raccoon variant of rabies. The efficacy of the program was assessed through the collection and testing of >6,900 animals for bait acceptance and rabies virus-specific antibodies. Raccoon acceptance of rabies vaccine baits was significantly greater (71–83%) in areas baited at a density of 150 baits/km2 compared to areas baited at 75 baits/km2 (26–58%), and more raccoons consumed vaccine baits in areas baited with a flight line spacing of 0.75 km (45.3%[321/708[) than with a spacing of 1.5 km (33.8% [108/320[). In addition, greater numbers of raccoons consumed vaccine baits during a drop in September (52.7%[213/404[) as opposed to a June bait drop (34.6% [216/624[). Seropositivity rates for raccoons ranged between 7% and 28% in areas baited at 75/km2 and 10% to 27% in areas baited at 150/km2 with statistical differences varying among years and treatments. The last case of raccoon-variant rabies reported in Ontario was in September 2005. The control of raccoon rabies in Ontario has resulted in an estimated $6M to $10M Cdn annual savings in rabies-associated costs.

Rosatte, Allan, Bachmann, Sobey, Donovan, Davies, Silver, Bennett, Brown, Stevenson, Buchanan, Bruce, Wandeler, Fehlner-Gardiner, Beresford, Beath, Escobar, Maki, and Schumacher: PREVALENCE OF TETRACYCLINE AND RABIES VIRUS ANTIBODY IN RACCOONS, SKUNKS, AND FOXES FOLLOWING AERIAL DISTRIBUTION OF V-RG BAITS TO CONTROL RACCOON RABIES IN ONTARIO, CANADA
R. Rosatte, M. Allan, P. Bachmann, K. Sobey, D. Donovan, J. C. Davies, A. Silver, K. Bennett, L. Brown, B. Stevenson, T. Buchanan, L. Bruce, A. Wandeler, C. Fehlner-Gardiner, A. Beresford, A. Beath, M. Escobar, J. Maki, and C. Schumacher "PREVALENCE OF TETRACYCLINE AND RABIES VIRUS ANTIBODY IN RACCOONS, SKUNKS, AND FOXES FOLLOWING AERIAL DISTRIBUTION OF V-RG BAITS TO CONTROL RACCOON RABIES IN ONTARIO, CANADA," Journal of Wildlife Diseases 44(4), 946-964, (1 October 2008). https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-44.4.946
Received: 23 May 2007; Published: 1 October 2008
KEYWORDS
oral vaccination
Procyon lotor
rabid raccoon
rabies
rabies control
raccoon
raccoon rabies
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