RESUMEN
Limited data exist on the factors affecting feline rabies vaccination outcomes during primary immunization. This study aimed to assess if specific factors (signalment, vaccination count, vaccine brand, and time since last vaccination) correlated with meeting global antibody titer standards and absolute titers in young cats given monovalent inactivated rabies vaccines. Analyzing a dataset from cats tested before their first annual booster using the FAVN test, logistic and linear regression models were applied. Among 379 cats, 94.2â¯% achieved titers meeting or exceeding the standard threshold (≥0.5 IU/ml). Time since last vaccination proved to be the primary predictor of vaccination success. Cats receiving two vaccinations tended toward higher titers. Age, sex, breed, and vaccine type showed no impact on outcomes. The present study indicates that vaccination failure in young cats is uncommon, and that the time interval from the latest vaccination is the single most important predictor of successful rabies vaccination.
RESUMEN
Rabies caused by the Classical Rabies Virus (Lyssavirus rabies abbreviated RABV) in the European Union has been close to elimination mainly thanks to Oral Rabies Vaccination (ORV) campaigns targeting wildlife (primarily red foxes). ORV programmes co-financed by the European Commission include a monitoring-component to assess the effectiveness of the ORV campaigns at national level. This assessment is performed by a random collection of red foxes in the vaccinated areas with control of antibodies presence by serological analysis and control of bait uptake by detection of biomarkers (tetracycline incorporated into the baits) in the bones and teeth. ORV programmes aim to a vaccine coverage high enough to immunize (ideally) 70 % of the reservoir population to control the spread of the disease. European Union (EU) programmes that led to almost elimination of rabies on the territory have been traditionally found to have a bait uptake average of 70 % (EU countries; 2010-2020 period) while the seroconversion data showed an average level of 40 % (EU countries; 2010-2020 period). To better understand variations of these indicators, a study was been set up to evaluate the impact of several variables (linked to the vaccination programme itself and linked to environmental conditions) on the bait uptake and the seroconversion rate. Thus, pooling data from several countries provides more powerful statistics and the highest probability of detecting trends. Results of this study advocate the use of a single serological test across the EU since data variation due to the type of test used was higher than variations due to field factors, making the interpretation of monitoring results at EU level challenging. In addition, the results indicates a negative correlation between bait uptake and maximum temperatures reached during ORV campaigns questioning the potential impact of climatic change and associated increase of temperatures on the ORV programmes efficiency. Several hypotheses requesting additional investigation are drawn and discussed in this paper.
Asunto(s)
Vacunas Antirrábicas , Virus de la Rabia , Rabia , Animales , Rabia/epidemiología , Rabia/prevención & control , Rabia/veterinaria , Zorros , Prevalencia , Estudios Retrospectivos , Administración Oral , Vacunación/veterinaria , Vacunación/métodosAsunto(s)
Enfermedades de los Perros/epidemiología , Zorros/virología , Genoma Viral , ARN Viral/clasificación , Virus de la Rabia/clasificación , Rabia/epidemiología , Animales , Reservorios de Enfermedades , Enfermedades de los Perros/prevención & control , Enfermedades de los Perros/virología , Perros , Monitoreo Epidemiológico , Grecia/epidemiología , Humanos , Tipificación Molecular , Filogenia , ARN Viral/genética , Rabia/prevención & control , Rabia/virología , Vacunas Antirrábicas/administración & dosificación , Virus de la Rabia/genética , Virus de la Rabia/aislamiento & purificación , VacunaciónRESUMEN
Rabies reemerged in Greek fauna during October 2012, 25 years after the last report in animals and 42 after the last human case. This study examined the administration of rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) in humans over the period 2012-2016. A total of 1,454 individuals (62.6% males) received PEP. The vast majority (92.3%) of regimens was initiated in high risk for animal rabies areas (11.1 PEP per 100,000 residents per year). Among the exposed, 77.0% presented at a healthcare setting during the first 24 h after the incident; more severe injuries were associated with faster presentation (p < 0.05). A vaccine series was administered in 54.5% of exposed persons whereas 43.7% received both vaccine and immunoglobulin and 1.7% immunoglobulin only. Exposure to stray dogs represented 68.4% of all incidents. In exposures occurring in nonhigh risk for rabies areas, bat was the second most frequently involved animal (13.4% of incidents). All dogs and cats evaluated by a veterinarian and laboratory-confirmed rabid were initially deemed suspect for rabies during clinical examination or according to history. No human rabies cases were recorded during the period of the study. Surveillance of PEP represents a valuable tool for aiding assessment of present and future demands in prophylaxis biologicals, outlining the epidemiological profile of exposures and planning effective policies for the management of exposure incidents.
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Inmunoglobulinas/administración & dosificación , Profilaxis Posexposición , Vacunas Antirrábicas/administración & dosificación , Rabia/prevención & control , Animales , Animales Domésticos , Animales Salvajes , Mordeduras y Picaduras/epidemiología , Gatos , Quirópteros , Perros , Grecia/epidemiología , Humanos , Rabia/epidemiología , Vacunas Antirrábicas/inmunologíaRESUMEN
There is currently limited information on the factors influencing the outcome of rabies vaccination in dogs based on the primary immunization schedule. The objective of this study was to investigate whether selected variables (signalment, number of vaccinations, vaccine brand and multivalence, and time interval between the most recent vaccination and blood sampling) were associated with the achievement of an acceptable titer threshold (based on international standards) and with absolute antibody titers in young dogs vaccinated with commercially available vaccines. Serologic data from 662 dogs tested prior to their first annual booster for rabies were retrospectively reviewed. Neutralizing antibody titers were determined using a fluorescent antibody neutralization test. An acceptable titer threshold (≥0.5IU/ml) was achieved in 86.5% of the dogs. Dogs that had been vaccinated twice had significantly (P<0.001) higher antibody titers compared with dogs vaccinated once. The odds of achieving seropositivity and the median absolute antibody titer tended to decrease with increasing time between vaccination and blood sampling. Dogs vaccinated with monovalent vaccines were more likely to achieve an acceptable titer than dogs vaccinated with polyvalent vaccines. Dogs that were vaccinated after 3-6 months of age were more likely to develop higher antibody titers. These results indicate that the administration of two vaccines rather than one vaccine in the primary immunization schedule for rabies, result in a superior vaccination response and may be a more beneficial policy for ensuring pre-exposure prophylaxis and for travel certification of young dogs.
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Anticuerpos Neutralizantes/sangre , Vacunas Antirrábicas/inmunología , Virus de la Rabia/inmunología , Rabia/prevención & control , Animales , Perros , Femenino , Inmunización/veterinaria , Esquemas de Inmunización , Masculino , Pruebas de Neutralización/veterinaria , Rabia/virología , Estudios Retrospectivos , Vacunación/veterinariaRESUMEN
Following the last animal rabies outbreak in Greece in 2012, Oral Rabies Vaccination (ORV) campaigns of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were conducted in order to halt the spread of the disease, as widely and effectively have also been implemented in other countries. The present study aims to report the main outcomes following the first Greek ORV campaigns during autumn 2013, 2014, 2015 and spring 2016, to assess their effectiveness and to investigate factors potentially related to their success. Blood samples, mandible bones and teeth, derived by 452 foxes, were tested for rabies antibody titration, animal age determination and tetracycline (TTC) detection. The laboratory results obtained were statistically analyzed. High seroprevalence and TTC detection rates were obtained following the autumn campaigns studied, while these rates were significantly reduced following the spring campaign. The year or the season of the vaccination campaign, the estimated age group of the animal and the geographical Regional Unit (RU), where the animal was hunted, were identified as important factors. On the contrary, no significance could be ascertained for TTC detection based on exclusively previous uptake, use of filter paper, blood sample type and quality, as well as sex of animal. Based on the monitoring results achieved, the first ORV campaigns conducted in the country can be generally considered to be satisfactory. No positives cases were detected since May 2014. Seasonal, geographical parameters and factors related to fox ecology may interfere with monitoring results and should be always considered when planning future ORV programs.
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Programas de Inmunización , Vacunas Antirrábicas/administración & dosificación , Rabia/veterinaria , Vacunación , Administración Oral , Animales , Zorros/virología , Grecia/epidemiología , Rabia/epidemiología , Rabia/prevención & control , Rabia/virología , Vacunas Antirrábicas/efectos adversos , Vacunas Antirrábicas/inmunología , Virus de la Rabia/inmunología , Estaciones del Año , Seroconversión , Estudios Seroepidemiológicos , Tetraciclina/sangreRESUMEN
Although juvenile red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are considered a single age group, essential for monitoring the effectiveness of the oral rabies vaccination (ORV), there appear to be significant differences among age subgroups. Herein, a subset of 335 foxes aged 0-1 year that had not consumed bait in previous campaign were collected for monitoring the effectiveness of the first seven ORV campaigns in Greece, carried out from 2013 to 2017. These juveniles were additionally assigned to three individual 4-month age groups, according to the exact date on which they were killed. The aim was to identify differences in seroconversion rate and bait uptake level and determine whether reconsideration is needed in the way that ORV monitoring is being implemented and evaluated. Statistically significant differences were observed following the analysis of mandible bone, teeth and blood samples obtained from 1-4 and 5-8-month old foxes as compared to the respective samples derived from 9-12-month old animals, whereas no differences were revealed in samples between foxes aged 1-4 and 5-8 months. Hunting juveniles during the whole period of spring ORV campaigns monitoring should be reevaluated and even discouraged. On the contrary, juvenile foxes hunted for the evaluation of autumn campaigns, aged > 8 months, had similar assessment rates to adult individuals and are equally helpful for assessing the efficacy of an ORV campaign. Taking the above into consideration and by distinguishing recent and old tetracycline uptake, ORV monitoring and evaluation could be performed in an alternative, more comprehensive way.
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Vacunas Antirrábicas/efectos adversos , Virus de la Rabia/inmunología , Rabia/veterinaria , Seroconversión , Vacunación , Administración Oral , Factores de Edad , Animales , Antibacterianos/administración & dosificación , Anticuerpos Antivirales/sangre , Zorros , Rabia/sangre , Rabia/inmunología , Rabia/prevención & control , Vacunas Antirrábicas/administración & dosificación , Vacunas Antirrábicas/inmunología , Estaciones del Año , Pruebas Serológicas , Tetraciclina/administración & dosificación , Potencia de la VacunaRESUMEN
The objective of this study is to present epizootiological data from the lumpy skin disease (LSD) outbreaks in Greece during 2015-16, following the implementation of emergency vaccination and total stamping-out, along with laboratory data regarding the genetic differentiation between field isolates and live attenuated vaccine virus strains. Descriptive geographical chronology analysis was conducted to present the progressive shift of the outbreaks westwards, and at the same time, the absence of further outbreaks in previously affected regional units where high vaccination coverage was achieved. Isolation and molecular characterization of LSDV from the first recorded case in Greece (Evros/GR/15 isolate) was performed. The two live attenuated LSD vaccine viruses, currently used for emergency immunization in Greece, were sequenced and compared to the Evros/GR/15 isolate, in 3 genomic regions (GPCR gene, RPO30 gene, and partial LSDV126/LSDV127 genes). Sequence comparisons revealed prominent differences between the Evros/GR/15 isolate and the vaccine strains. Phylogenetic analysis resulted in the classification of the Evros/GR/15 isolate in the same clade with all field LSDV isolates, whereas vaccine strains were grouped in a distinct cluster within the LSDV clade. Additional samples from animals presenting skin nodules (N=13) were characterized by sequencing in the 3 aforementioned genomic regions. Among them, in 5 animals that were vaccinated, the attenuated vaccine virus was identified. A PCR-RFLP method targeting the LSDV127 gene was developed and proved to be able to discriminate between the characterized field and vaccine strains. The findings of the present study substantiate the importance of timely and intensive vaccinations for the control of LSDV epizootic and the genetic differences between the Evros/GR/15 isolate and the vaccine strains. This provides the basis for the development of PCR-based DIVA assays, which would be of major importance for effective disease surveillance and stamping-out during LSD vaccination campaigns.
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Brotes de Enfermedades/veterinaria , Dermatosis Nodular Contagiosa/epidemiología , Virus de la Dermatosis Nodular Contagiosa/aislamiento & purificación , Vacunación/veterinaria , Vacunas Virales/inmunología , Animales , Bovinos , Grecia/epidemiología , Dermatosis Nodular Contagiosa/prevención & control , Dermatosis Nodular Contagiosa/virología , Virus de la Dermatosis Nodular Contagiosa/genética , Virus de la Dermatosis Nodular Contagiosa/inmunología , Filogenia , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa/veterinaria , Polimorfismo de Longitud del Fragmento de Restricción , Vacunas Atenuadas/inmunologíaRESUMEN
Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) causes an economically important disease in cattle. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of the first LSDV isolate identified in mainland Europe. LSDV isolate Evros/GR/15 was isolated from the first cases reported on 18 August 2015 in the Evros region, Greece.
RESUMEN
Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a transboundary viral disease of cattle with severe economic impact. Immunization of cattle with homologous live attenuated vaccines poses a number of diagnostic problems, as it has been associated with adverse reactions resembling disease symptoms. The latter hampers clinical diagnosis and poses challenges in virus identification. To this end, a duplex quantitative real-time PCR method targeting the GPCR gene was developed and validated, for the concurrent detection and differentiation of wild type and vaccine Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) strains. The method was evaluated in three laboratories. The evaluation included a panel of 38 poxvirus isolates/strains and the analytical characteristics of the method were determined. Amplification efficiencies were 91.3% and 90.7%, for wild type and vaccine LSDV, respectively; the limit of detection was 8 DNA copies for both targets and the inter-assay CV was 0.30% for wild type and 0.73% for vaccine LSDV. The diagnostic performance was assessed using 163 LSDV-positive samples, including field specimens and samples from experimentally vaccinated/infected animals. The method is able to confirm diagnosis in suspect cases, it differentiates infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA) and can be regarded as an important tool for effective LSD surveillance and eradication during vaccination campaigns.
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Sondas de ADN , Dermatosis Nodular Contagiosa/diagnóstico , Virus de la Dermatosis Nodular Contagiosa/aislamiento & purificación , Reacción en Cadena en Tiempo Real de la Polimerasa/métodos , Vacunas Virales , Animales , Bovinos , ADN Viral/genética , Dermatosis Nodular Contagiosa/virología , Virus de la Dermatosis Nodular Contagiosa/genética , Sensibilidad y Especificidad , Vacunas Atenuadas , Vacunas Virales/inmunologíaRESUMEN
Following the late 2012 recurrence of rabies in wild foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in central and north-western Greece, the first oral fox vaccination campaign co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the Greek state budget, was implemented. Initially, it involved 24 regional units of the Greek territory during the period October-December 2013. Vaccine-baits were aerially distributed by fixed-wing aircrafts. Vaccines were scattered along parallel flight paths 500m apart in order to optimize aerial missions and achieve homogeneous distribution. A geographical information system was used to objectively evaluate bait distribution. This system identified areas of inadequate bait density that would require additional flights. A total number of 1,504,821 baits were distributed covering an area of 54,584.29km(2). To assess the effectiveness of oral vaccination campaign a monitoring program was introduced, which entailed examination of serum samples and canine teeth derived from red foxes collected in the field. The laboratory analysis revealed 60% seropositivity and detection of tetracycline biomarker in 70% of the foxes tested.
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Transmisión de Enfermedad Infecciosa/prevención & control , Zorros , Vacunas Antirrábicas/administración & dosificación , Rabia/veterinaria , Administración Oral , Animales , Anticuerpos Antivirales/sangre , Biomarcadores/sangre , Grecia , Rabia/prevención & control , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
Among the numerous signaling pathways involved in tumorigenesis, PI3K-AKT-mTOR is a key one that regulates diverse cellular functions. However, its prognostic value in esophageal carcinoma remains unclear. In our study, we examined the immunohistochemical expression of phosphorylated (p-) AKT, mTOR, p70S6K and 4E-BP1 along with the mutational status of PIK3CA and AKT1 genes by High Resolution Melting Analysis and Pyrosequencing in 44 esophageal carcinomas. The results were correlated with the clinicopathological characteristics of the patients in an effort to define their possible prognostic significance. Total p-mTOR cytoplasmic expression, assessed in 10 random areas, was positively correlated with tumor stage (Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, I/II vs III/IV, p = 0.0500). Μoreover, maximum p-mTOR cytoplasmic immunoexpression, estimated in hot spot areas, was positively associated with tumor grade (Mann-Whitney U test, I/II vs III, p = 0.0565). Interestingly, p-4E-BP1 immunoreactivity was negatively correlated with tumor histological grade (Mann-Whitney U test, I/II vs III, p = 0.0427). No mutation was observed in exons 9 and 20 of PIK3CA gene and in exon 4 of AKT1 gene. In conclusion, our findings depict the presence of activated PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in esophageal cancer bringing forward p-mTOR and p-4E-BP1 for their potential role in esophageal carcinogenesis. Additional studies are warranted to validate our findings.
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Proteínas Adaptadoras Transductoras de Señales/metabolismo , Neoplasias Esofágicas/diagnóstico , Neoplasias Esofágicas/genética , Fosfatidilinositol 3-Quinasas/metabolismo , Fosfoproteínas/metabolismo , Transducción de Señal , Serina-Treonina Quinasas TOR/metabolismo , Proteínas Adaptadoras Transductoras de Señales/genética , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Proteínas de Ciclo Celular , Fosfatidilinositol 3-Quinasa Clase I , Estudios de Cohortes , Femenino , Humanos , Inmunohistoquímica , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Fosfatidilinositol 3-Quinasas/genética , Fosfoproteínas/genética , Fosforilación , Pronóstico , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-akt/genética , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-akt/metabolismo , Proteínas Quinasas S6 Ribosómicas 70-kDa/genética , Proteínas Quinasas S6 Ribosómicas 70-kDa/metabolismo , Serina-Treonina Quinasas TOR/genética , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Greece has been rabies free since 1987 while no human cases have been seen since 1970. The re-emergence of rabies in Northern Greece during 2012-2013 in wild and domestic animals prompted a systematic review of historical evidence of the presence of the disease in the country from ancient years till the present. Historical data is presented along with efforts to prevent disease in animals and humans especially during the high prevalent periods in the country in the mid-20th century. These efforts serve as a guide to current extensive efforts to prevent spread especially in the wild and domestic animal populations.