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1FGI Federal Centre for Animal Health, Vladimir, Russia2Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira

3Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland

FINNISH-RUSSIAN COLLABORATION PROGRAMME ON RABIES CONTROL IN WILDLIFE: THE OUTCOME OF FIVE

YEARS AND THE FUTURE PROSPECTS

Metlin A.E*1,2,3., Rybakov S.S1., Gruzdev K.N1.,

Mikhalishin V.V1., Huovilainen A2., Neuvonen E2.

*artem.metlin@inbox.ru

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Rabies situation in Finland

• Finland is a rabies-free country since 1991;

• The last sylvatic rabies epidemic in Finland took place in 1988-1989 (the main wild vector – raccoon dogs);

• Oral anti-rabies vaccination of wild carnivores started in 1988;

• Since 1989 only 1 case of rabies (horse imported from Estonia) was recorded in 2003 .

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Rabies situation in Russia

• Russia is endemic for rabies for a long time;

• Rabies cases in wild, domestic and farm animals are recorded every year;

• A few rabies cases in humans are recorded annually;

• Oral anti-rabies vaccination is conducted in a few regions non-systematically.

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The number of animal rabies cases in the Russian Federation for the last 8 years

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Number of animal rabies cases in the Russian Federation in 2006

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In the frames of the program the following work was done:

• Rabies monitoring in Russian regions bordering Finland;

• Arrangement of anti-rabies buffer zone on the Finnish-

Russian border using oral vaccines;

• Safety and immunogenisity testing of oral anti-rabies

vaccines;

• Collection and antigenic and genetic characterization of the

field rabies viruses;

• Entire genome sequencing and genetic characterisation of

vaccine strain RV-97;

• Differentiation of vaccine and field strains with restriction and

Real-Time PCR

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Anti-rabies vaccination area on the Finnish-Russian border

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Comparison of immunogenicity of oral anti-rabies vaccines

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Vaccine study

• Fuchsoral vaccine was found more immunogenic;

• Both vaccines were found safe when 10 fold dose of vaccine virus was administrated to animals;

• Vaccinated animals survived after the challenge with the field rabies virus strain while control animals died.

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Monoclonal antibody characterization of rabies viruses

(panel of 5 antinucleocapsid monoclonal antibodies was kindly donated by Dr J. Cox, Wusterhausen,

Germany)

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Geographical distribution of the antigenic variants revealed among the viruses studied

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Genetic study with field rabies viruses and vaccine strains

• Brain samples of 35 rabid animals;• 14 regions of Russia, including North

Western, Western, Southern, Caucasian, Central and Siberian parts of the Russian Federation.

• Archival Finnish and Estonian viruses.• Two Russian vaccine strains were

included in this study (RV-97 and “Sheep”).

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Phylogenetic relations of two major phylogroups from Eurasian continent and vaccine strains

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Geographical

location of the

genetic groups

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Entire genome sequencing of the vaccine strainRV-97

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Phyloge-netic relation of vaccine strains on complete protein sequences

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Ongoing research work:

Development of the techniques for express differentiation of the field rabies viruses and vaccine strains on the basis of:

• restriction of RT-PCR products

with restriction enzymes;

• Real-Time PCR.

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Conclusion and Future Prospects

• This collaboration was effective and useful for both countries;

• Two major genogroups and several subgroups were found among viruses from Russia;

• To fully characterize geographical distribution of the major genogroups revealed further studies need to be conducted;

• International trans-border collaboration to control rabies is very essential and must be continued.

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References for this study

• Metlin A.E., Cox J., Rybakov S.S., Huovilainen A., Grouzdev K. and Neuvonen E. (2004) Monoclonal antibody characterization of rabies virus isolates from Russia, Finland and Estonia. J. Vet. Med. B, Vol. 51, pp. 94-96.

• Metlin A.E., Rybakov S.S., Gruzdev K.N., Neuvonen E., Cox J., Huovilainen A. (2006) Antigenic and molecular characterization of field and vaccine rabies virus strains in the Russian Federation. Dev. Biol. Vol. 125. pp. 33-37.

• Metlin A.E., Holopainen R., Tuura S., Ek-Kommonen C., Huovilainen A. (2006) Imported case of equine rabies in Finland: clinical course of the disease and the antigenic and genetic characterization of the virus. J. Equine Vet. Sci. Vol. 26, pp. 584-587.

• Metlin A., Rybakov S., Gruzdev K., Neuvonen E., Huovilainen A. (2007) Genetic heterogeneity of Russian, Estonian and Finnish field rabies viruses. Arch. Virol. In press.