Scientific opinion about the need to continue the oral vaccination of foxes against rabies in the R. Bulgaria

In the implementation of two EU co-financed 5-year programs in the period 2009-2020, it was confirmed that oral vaccination against rabies with vaccine baits was successful in eliminating the virus in terrestrial wildlife, both in foxes, jackals and raccoon dogs. In most EU countries, It has been confirmed that oral vaccination against rabies using vaccine baits containing live attenuated virus has been successful in reducing and eliminating cases of rabies the disease has already been successfully eradicated, but in some countries further efforts are needed, especially in areas near the EU's eastern borders. The purpose of this opinion is to assess the need for Bulgaria to continue the implementation of a long-term program for oral vaccination of foxes and wild canids against rabies within the next period of implementation of the national Program for prevention, surveillance, control and eradication of rabies in Bulgaria in 2022-2024. This national program is part of the European Union's (EU) policy on the eradication of rabies in wild animals. To this end, the European Commission (EC) has co-financed fox vaccination programs for many years to eliminate the risk of spreading the rabies virus to humans and other domestic animals. The results obtained so far unequivocally show that oral vaccination of foxes in Bulgaria has a very good effect, and that the medium-term goal of reducing rabies cases has been achieved. However, the rabies virus is still circulating through its sylvatic (forest) cycle in Eastern Europe and Bulgaria's neighboring and near far way countries - Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Anatolian Turkey. To this end, it is necessary to ensure, through EU co-financed programs, a longer-term strategy, persistence and continuity of vaccination campaigns in the application of oral fox vaccination and unconditional cross-border cooperation with the Balkan countries and their competent veterinary services to achieve the ultimate goal - eradication of rabies from the territory of Bulgaria. The developed mechanism for two-time (spring and autumn) bait spreading campaigns is scientifically justified and allows coverage of the young generation of foxes and increases the effectiveness of the vaccination campaign by better coverage of the wild canid population by the vaccine used. The preservation of an immune belt consisting of buffer zones at the EU's borders with neighboring countries must prevent the re-introduction of the virus and be combined with the maintenance of adequate rabies surveillance. In order to achieve the ultimate goal of eradicating rabies from the territory of Bulgaria, the two-year vaccination of foxes should be continue, taking into account the climatic conditions and the period of birth of foxes and raccoon dogs, in order to increase the access of more these animals to the baits, in coordination and cooperation with neighboring countries and depending on the epizootic situation in them. For the conditions of Bulgaria the spring and autumn seasonal vaccinations are recommended.BG; docx; EFSAfocalpoint@mzh.government.b