title: Use of filter paper blood samples for rabies antibody detection in foxes and raccoon dogs.
abstract: The effectiveness of oral rabies vaccination in wildlife is usually evaluated by the detection of rabies antibodies. However, the assessment of rabies antibodies has several technical difficulties in the field, such as the collection, storage, transport and titration of blood samples, often of poor quality. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of collecting blood on a filter paper (FP) coupled with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) titration of rabies antibodies in raccoon dogs and red foxes. The FP blood sampling method was found highly specific and repeatable in both species. Overall, results obtained with the FP sampling method were highly concordant with the conventional (venipuncture) sampling methods. Blood eluates from FP samples from foxes and raccoon dogs tested using ELISA showed concordance values of 92% and 95%, respectively, with serum samples tested using the seroneutralisation test and values of 95% and 91%, respectively, when the ELISA was used on both types of sample. The use of FP blood sampling coupled with the titration of rabies antibodies by ELISA provides a reliable alternative to conventional blood sampling and serum testing by seroneutralisation. This simple procedure is particularly attractive and cost-effective for assessing the effectiveness of oral rabies vaccination in field conditions.
authors.affiliation: French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife, European Union Reference Laboratory for Rabies, European Union Reference Laboratory for Rabies Serology, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Management in Zoonoses Control, OIE Reference Laboratory for Rabies, Technopôle agricole et vétérinaire de Pixérécourt, CS 40009, 54220 Malzéville, France.
authors.forename: Marine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wasniewski
authors.affiliation: French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife, European Union Reference Laboratory for Rabies, European Union Reference Laboratory for Rabies Serology, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Management in Zoonoses Control, OIE Reference Laboratory for Rabies, Technopôle agricole et vétérinaire de Pixérécourt, CS 40009, 54220 Malzéville, France.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barrat
authors.affiliation: ELIZ - Entente Interdépartementale de Lutte contre les Zoonoses, Technopôle agricole et vétérinaire de Pixérécourt, CS 40009, 54220 Malzéville, France.
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Combes
authors.affiliation: Conseils en Pharmacie et Biologie, 2 place des Quatre Vierges, 69110 Sainte Foy les Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Anne Laure
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Guiot
authors.affiliation: French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife, European Union Reference Laboratory for Rabies, European Union Reference Laboratory for Rabies Serology, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Management in Zoonoses Control, OIE Reference Laboratory for Rabies, Technopôle agricole et vétérinaire de Pixérécourt, CS 40009, 54220 Malzéville, France. Electronic address: florence.cliquet@anses.fr.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cliquet
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001769:Blood / Q000276:immunology*; D003890:Desiccation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005589:Foxes; D011818:Rabies / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D011819:Rabies Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000276:immunology*; D046031:Raccoon Dogs; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D011819:Rabies Vaccines
keywords: ELISA; FAVN test; Filter paper; Fox; Rabies oral vaccination; Raccoon dog