VACCINES AGAINST RABIES

History of the vaccinal control against rabies has been reviewed from the first vaccine developed by Pasteur. Main properties of different (brain, chicken embryo, cell culture, biosynthetic, synthetic) vaccine types have been demonstrated. More important characteristics of four serotypes of Lyssavirus genus, separated by the WHO within the Rhabdoviridae family, have been summarized. Questions of the oral vaccination of wildlife has also been treated, demonstrating the attenuated and recombinant live virus vaccines used for that purpose. Favorable experiences obtained with the latter Vaccinia-Rabies (V-RG) vaccine in the United States, Belgium and France have also been summarized. Problems of oral vaccination of dogs to be solved have also been reviewed. As a possibility, the adenovirus recombinant vaccine is mentioned for the oral immunization of dogs. In case of post-exposition vaccination of domestic animals it has been mentioned that the number of vaccines for that purpose is restricted (in Hungary only one) because of different veterinary administrative regulations in different countries and due to the considerable costs. Advantages and disadvantages of live, attenuated and inactivated vaccines have been compared. It has been stressed that - according to the decision of WHO-live virus rabies vaccines can not be used in men. Even when the live attenuated virus of a vaccine for veterinary use contaminates a man (vaccination accident) a post-infection vaccination should be carried out. Finally, causes of the spreading of polyvalent vaccines have been treated, underlining that the efficacy of these vaccines do not differ from that of monovalent vaccines. Table 1 has summarized different chicken embryo or cell culture - live virus or inactivated - cat and dog rabies vaccines. Tables 2 and 3 have demonstrated the mono- and polyvalent inactivated rabies vaccines registered in Hungary.