title: Acceptance of candidate baits by domestic dogs for delivery of oral rabies vaccines.
abstract: Protocols for evaluating oral rabies vaccine baits for domestic dogs were field tested in central Mexico, after which dog-food manufacturers and suppliers to the pet-food industry were advised as to potential ingredients for use in prototype dog baits. Bait-preference trials in which confined dogs were used were then undertaken, followed by field tests of free-ranging farmer-owned dogs in three towns in the Nile River Delta region of Egypt. Both confined and free-ranging dogs showed strong preferences for certain baits or bait coatings (poultry, beef tallow, cheese, egg and a proprietary product). Fish-meal polymer baits, widely used for wildlife species, were less preferred. In Egypt, a commercial dog-food-meal bait coated with beef tallow and dry cheese, was consumed at a rate approaching that of a chicken-head bait. The percentage baits that were actually eaten after they had been offered to dogs, ranged from 71-96% for household dogs tested in Mexico, 65-91% for confined dogs (beagles and mixed breeds) tested in the United States, and 32-88% for farmer-owned dogs tested in Egypt.
authors.affiliation: Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens 30602, USA.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Linhart
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Baer
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Balderas Torres
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Engeman
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Flores Collins
authors.forename: F X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Meslin
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Taweel
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wlodkowski
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004285:Dogs; D004534:Egypt; D008800:Mexico; D011818:Rabies / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D011819:Rabies Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014481:United States; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D011819:Rabies Vaccines