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1 Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Wildlife Research and Development Section, Trent University, DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Dr., Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada
2 Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa Laboratory Fallowfield, PO Box 11300, Station H, Nepean, Ontario K2H 8P9, Canada
3 Artemis Technologies, Inc., 51 Watson Rd. S., Guelph, Ontario N1L 1E3, Canada
4 USSEC, 12125 Woodcrest Executive Dr., Suite 140, St. Louis, MO 63141, USA
5 Merial Limited, Athens, Georgia 30601, USA
6 Merial Limited, 29 av Tony Garnier, Lyon, 69007, Lyon, France
7 Corresponding author (email: rick.rosatte{at}ontario.ca)
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.
Key words: Oral vaccination, Procyon lotor, rabid raccoon, rabies, raccoon, raccoon rabies, rabies control, vaccine baits, V-RG.
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