Epidemiology, diagnostics and immunprophylaxis of rabies in wild and domestic animals in Lithuania

Rabies is one of the oldest and most dangerous human and animal diseases. This is a disease that is transmitted directly from animal to animal and from an animal to a human being. People usually contract this disease from stray domestic animals therefore a realistic threat is posed to everyone to become infected with the rabies virus (RV). The only and the most effective way of protecting oneself from rabies after an infected or unknown animal has bitten one, is immunoprophylaxis. Between 2003 and 2011, the epidemiological situation of rabies in Lithuania was assessed. The methods that were used to diagnose rabies are noted for specificity and sensitivity. It has been proved that applying simultaneously the direct fluorescent antibody test (FAT) and rabies tissue culture infections test (RTCIT) methods it was possible to ensure a fast and effective determination of RV in the samples of wild and domestic animals under investigation thereby ensuring confirmation of the diagnosis of being infected with RV. During the wild fauna oral rabies vaccination (ORV) period between 2007 and 2011, the philogenetic analysis of RV isolates of domestic and wild animals in the sphere of N gene by means of the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was carried out for the first time. In 2006-2011, the assessment of the efficacy of ORV in raccoon dogs and red foxes by means of the quantitative the Enzyme-linked immunoassay test (ELISA) research method determining antibodies specific to the vaccine rabies virus in blood samples was made for the first time. We recommend this method to be used to assess the efficacy of ORV of wild fauna. It has been established that vaccine against rabies used in Lithuania is an effective and safe measure of immunoprophylaxis, which precludes the spread of rabies