Background United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta and Sweden maintain their national provisions for a transitional period regarding rules concerning rabies vaccination and individual serological test for rabies neutralizing antibodies. The purpose of vaccinating dogs against rabies is to establish pre-exposure immunity and protect individual animals from contracting rabies. The aim of the study was to investigate factors associated with reaching the internationally accepted threshold antibody titre of 0.5 IU/mL after rabies vaccination of dogs. 
To help personalize content, tailor and measure ads, and provide a safer experience, we use cookies. By clicking or navigating the site, you agree to allow our collection of information on and off Facebook through cookies. Mar 25, 2011 Study design. The study was a prospective single cohort study including 6,789 blood samples from dogs received by the National Veterinary Institute (SVA) during 2005 for the analysis of the serological response to rabies vaccination.
Methods The study was a prospective single cohort study including 6,789 samples from Swedish dogs vaccinated with commercially available vaccines in Sweden, and the dog's antibody responses were determined by the OIE approved FAVN test. Information on potential risk factors; breed, age, gender, date of vaccination, vaccine label and the number of vaccinations, was collected for each dog. Associations between the dependent variable, serological response ≥ 0.5 IU/mL. Results Of 6,789 vaccinated dogs, 6,241 (91.9%) had an approved test result of ≥ 0.5 IU/mL.
The results of the multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that vaccinating with vaccine B reduced the risk of having antibody titres of 5 years of age to have antibody titres of. Sweden is free from rabies since more than 100 years. When Sweden joined the European Union 1994 the obligatory quarantine system was abandoned and new rules for non-commercial movement of pet animals (dogs, cats and ferrets) were put in place.
The rules are laid down in Directive 998/2003 of the European Community [ ]. According to these rules all animals should be identified by tattoo and/or microchip and vaccinated against rabies, and a 21-day waiting period in case of primary vaccination. In addition, article 6 of the above Regulation provides that four countries, United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta and Sweden, maintain their national provisions for a transitional period. For Sweden these derogations consist of the requirement of an individual serological test for rabies neutralizing antibodies before entry into Sweden earliest 120 days after the latest vaccination. The purpose of vaccinating cats and dogs against rabies is to establish pre-exposure immunity and protect individual animals from contracting rabies, hereby preventing further spread to humans or other domestic animals. It has been shown by others that type of vaccine used, number of vaccinations, interval between vaccination and blood sampling, age at vaccination, size and breed can influence the antibody response [ – ], but this has not been investigated in Sweden. The aim of the study was to investigate factors associated with reaching the internationally accepted threshold antibody titre of 0.5 IU/mL after rabies vaccination of dogs.
Study design The study was a prospective single cohort study including 6,789 blood samples from dogs received by the National Veterinary Institute (SVA) during 2005 for the analysis of the serological response to rabies vaccination. The samples were either whole blood samples or sera from dogs vaccinated with one of the two commercially available vaccines in Sweden. To qualify into the study the dogs had to be vaccinated in Sweden and been vaccinated against rabies with one of the two in Sweden commercially available vaccines, and samples for serological analyses had to be sent in to SVA. The samples were collected as routine samples, hence, not especially for this study. Owners were informed at sampling that the sample could be used for research and they were given the opportunity to not let the sample be used for research. Vaccines Two, in Sweden commercially available monovalent inactivated rabies vaccines, were evaluated. A: Nobivac ® Rabies Vet.
(Intervet AB) and B: Rabisin ® Vet. (Merial Norden A/S). From here on these vaccines are referred to as vaccines A and B, respectively. Vaccine A contains ≥ 2 IU of the rabies virus strain RIV (Pasteur Institute) per vaccine dose plus aluminum phosphate as adjuvant and vaccine B contains ≥ 1 IU of rabies virus Wistar G 57 (Pasteur Institute) and aluminum hydroxide as adjuvant.
The main task of adjuvants is to induce an inflammatory response which is needed for an adaptive immune response including T and B cells. Also adjuvant can be important for constituting depot effect enabling a sustained presence of the vaccine antigen in the body, Adjuvants can also be important for the need of less vaccine antigen in an adjuvanted vaccine. The dogs were immunized following the vaccine producers' instructions. Sample collection Blood samples were collected throughout the country at different veterinary clinics.