Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
10963060 | Vaccine | 2016 | 8 Pages |
Abstract
Following the late 2012 recurrence of rabies in wild foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in central and north-western Greece, the first oral fox vaccination campaign co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the Greek state budget, was implemented. Initially, it involved 24 regional units of the Greek territory during the period October-December 2013. Vaccine-baits were aerially distributed by fixed-wing aircrafts. Vaccines were scattered along parallel flight paths 500Â m apart in order to optimize aerial missions and achieve homogeneous distribution. A geographical information system was used to objectively evaluate bait distribution. This system identified areas of inadequate bait density that would require additional flights. A total number of 1,504,821 baits were distributed covering an area of 54,584.29Â km2. To assess the effectiveness of oral vaccination campaign a monitoring program was introduced, which entailed examination of serum samples and canine teeth derived from red foxes collected in the field. The laboratory analysis revealed 60% seropositivity and detection of tetracycline biomarker in 70% of the foxes tested.
Keywords
Related Topics
Life Sciences
Immunology and Microbiology
Immunology
Authors
Laskarina-Maria Korou, Konstantia E. Tasioudi, Myrsini Tzani, Athanasios Konstantinidis, Aikaterini Plevraki, Peristera Iliadou, Petroula Kostoglou, Dimitrios Kaimaras, Spyridon Doudounakis, Olga Mangana-Vougiouka,