title: Immune response to rabies vaccine in Alaskan dogs: failure to achieve a consistently protective antibody response.
abstract: Previous studies in Thailand and Tunisia have shown that one injection of dog pre-exposure rabies vaccine does not produce a lasting antibody titre in a significant group of animals. We therefore duplicated the Thai study in a small North American community using healthy, owned dogs. A tissue culture vaccine of known high antigenicity was given intramuscularly as one primary injection and antibody titres were determined by the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test on days 14, 30, 60, 180 and 360. Titres were less than 0.5 i.u./mL in 27% of dogs bled at 2 months, 24% at 6 months, and in 33% one year after the primary vaccination. In rabies endemic regions, it may be hazardous to rely on the previous vaccine history of a biting dog when making post-exposure management decisions. A retrospective study of antibody levels in previously vaccinated dogs in North America also indicated that a single injection of vaccine often failed to result in adequate titres.
authors.affiliation: Southeast Alaska Veterinary Clinic, Juneau.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sage
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Khawplod
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wilde
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lobaugh
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hemachudha
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tepsumethanon
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lumlertdaecha
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004285:Dogs / Q000276:immunology*; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011819:Rabies Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000276:immunology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D011819:Rabies Vaccines