New report on oral vaccination against rabies published by EFSA

A new report on the success of oral vaccination againt rabies is published by EFSA.

The report provides an update on oral rabies vaccination (ORV) of foxes and raccoon dogs. Foxes are the only known reservoir for rabies in Europe, and raccoon dogs are important transmitters of the disease. Stray dogs can play a role in the transmission of the disease to humans.

Adequate planning of oral rabies vaccination campaigns needs to adress vaccine stability in the distributed baits, and must lead to choose the most appropriate season for vaccination. Also, surveillance and monitoring of rabies vaccination are important tools for the evaluation and adjustment of vaccination campaigns, based on assessment of bait uptake and seroconversion in the foxes and raccoon dogs.

Oral rabies campaigns can work well when a long-term strategy is adopted and adhered to by competent authorities and stakeholders ensuring temporal continuity of vaccination and cross-border cooperation.

The full report can be downloaded HERE