Field experimental vaccination campaigns against myxomatosis and their effectiveness in the wild

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2009

Authors

Catarina Ferreira (Author) Other; Esther Ramirez (Author) Other; Francisca Castro (Author) Other; Pablo Ferreras (Author) Other; Paulo Celio Alves (Author) FCUP; Steve Redpath (Author) Other; Rafael Villafuerte (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Vaccine

Vol. 27

Pages: 6998-7002

ISSN: 0264-410X

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 21 Citations

Scopus - 23 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Basic medicine

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-003-EA8

DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.09.075

Abstract (EN): We conducted a field experiment in SW Spain to test the efficacy of a myxomatosis vaccine, a viral disease strongly affecting wild rabbit populations, by assessing individual survival and antibody seroprevalence of monthly live-trapped, vaccinated (N = 466) and unvaccinated (N = 558)juvenile wild rabbits, between April and October 2007. Eight percent of all juveniles caught from April to June showed maternal antibodies against myxomatosis, whereas all animals were seropositive to the disease after the outbreak. juveniles vaccinated before the outbreak showed 17% higher survival (31% vs. 14%) and an increased mortality probability of 8% after the outbreak. Results suggest that only a costly and systematic vaccination performed before the annual myxomatosis outbreak, would improve the survival of juvenile rabbits, a premise not always accomplished that compromises its efficacy in the field.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 5