title: Cross-border transport of rescue dogs may spread rabies in Europe.
abstract: Harmonisation of regulations in the European Union and the European Economic Area, as of January 1, 2012, has led to an increase in the number of rescue dogs imported to Norway from Eastern European countries, in particular Romania. Today the only requirements for dogs entering Norway are rabies vaccination and prophylactic Echinococcus multilocularis treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibody levels to rabies virus in vaccinated rescue dogs and to examine if the dogs had sufficient antibody response according to the recommended titre ≥0.5 IU/ml by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). A significant proportion (53%, 95% CI (41% to 65%)) of imported rescue dogs from Eastern Europe were found to have inadequate titres after rabies vaccination. Moreover, 41 per cent of the dogs had antibody levels below or equal to 0.2 IU/ml, and among these, 14 dogs had titres ≤0.1 IU/ml, which is considered negative in the fluorescent antibody virus neutralisation assay. This study indicates that the present regulation increases the risk of introducing rabies from member states where rabies is still prevalent to countries considered free from rabies.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Postboks 750 Sentrum, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Klevar
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Postboks 750 Sentrum, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Høgåsen
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Postboks 750 Sentrum, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Postboks 750 Sentrum, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: I S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Hamnes
authors.affiliation: National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Treiberg Berndtsson
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Postboks 750 Sentrum, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lund
mesh_terms: D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D004285:Dogs; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D011818:Rabies / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D011819:Rabies Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000276:immunology; D014186:Transportation; D014611:Vaccination / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D011819:Rabies Vaccines
keywords: Dogs; Rabies; Vaccines