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Apologies for the brief intermission imposed by the pandemic, between the opening piece of our Special Issue “Lyssaviruses and Rabies: Prevention, Control and Elimination” and this closing act of commentary
Charles Rupprecht. The Rabies Concert: Rising towards the Last Waltz? Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 2021, 6, 124 .
AMA StyleCharles Rupprecht. The Rabies Concert: Rising towards the Last Waltz? Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease. 2021; 6 (3):124.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCharles Rupprecht. 2021. "The Rabies Concert: Rising towards the Last Waltz?" Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 6, no. 3: 124.
The common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) is a hematophagous species responsible for paralytic rabies and bite damage that affects livestock, humans and wildlife from Mexico to Argentina. Current measures to control vampires, based upon coumarin-derived poisons, are not used extensively due in part to the high cost of application, risks for bats that share roosts with vampires and residual environmental contamination. Observations that vampire bat bites may induce resistance in livestock against vampire bat salivary anticoagulants encourage research into novel vaccine-based alternatives particularly focused upon increasing livestock resistance to vampire salivary components. We evaluated the action of vampire bat saliva-Freund’s incomplete adjuvant administered to sheep with anticoagulant responses induced by repeated vampire bites in a control group and examined characteristics of vampire bat salivary secretion. We observed that injections induced a response against vampire bat salivary anticoagulants stronger than by repeated vampire bat bites. Based upon these preliminary findings, we hypothesize the utility of developing a control technique based on induction of an immunologically mediated resistance against vampire bat anticoagulants and rabies virus via dual delivery of appropriate host and pathogen antigens. Fundamental characteristics of host biology favor alternative strategies than simple culling by poisons for practical, economical, and ecologically relevant management of vampire populations within a One Health context.
Horacio Delpietro; Roberto Russo; Charles Rupprecht; Gabriela Delpietro. Towards Development of an Anti-Vampire Bat Vaccine for Rabies Management: Inoculation of Vampire Bat Saliva Induces Immune-Mediated Resistance. Viruses 2021, 13, 515 .
AMA StyleHoracio Delpietro, Roberto Russo, Charles Rupprecht, Gabriela Delpietro. Towards Development of an Anti-Vampire Bat Vaccine for Rabies Management: Inoculation of Vampire Bat Saliva Induces Immune-Mediated Resistance. Viruses. 2021; 13 (3):515.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHoracio Delpietro; Roberto Russo; Charles Rupprecht; Gabriela Delpietro. 2021. "Towards Development of an Anti-Vampire Bat Vaccine for Rabies Management: Inoculation of Vampire Bat Saliva Induces Immune-Mediated Resistance." Viruses 13, no. 3: 515.
Rabies is an ancient, much-feared, and neglected infectious disease. Caused by pathogens in the family Rhabdoviridae, genus Lyssavirus, and distributed globally, this viral zoonosis results in tens of thousands of human fatalities and millions of exposures annually. All mammals are believed susceptible, but only certain taxa act as reservoirs. Dependence upon direct routing to, replication within, and passage from the central nervous system serves as a basic viral strategy for perpetuation. By a combination of stealth and subversion, lyssaviruses are quintessential neurotropic agents and cause an acute, progressive encephalitis. No treatment exists, so prevention is the key. Although not a disease considered for eradication, something of a modern rebirth has been occurring within the field as of late with regard to detection, prevention, and management as well as applied research. For example, within the past decade, new lyssaviruses have been characterized; sensitive and specific diagnostics have been optimized; pure, potent, safe, and efficacious human biologics have improved human prophylaxis; regional efforts have controlled canine rabies by mass immunization; wildlife rabies has been controlled by oral rabies vaccination over large geographic areas in Europe and North America; and debate has resumed over the controversial topic of therapy. Based upon such progress to date, there are certain expectations for the next 10 years. These include pathogen discovery, to uncover additional lyssaviruses in the Old World; laboratory-based surveillance enhancement by simplified, rapid testing; anti-viral drug appearance, based upon an improved appreciation of viral pathobiology and host response; and improvements to canine rabies elimination regionally throughout Africa, Asia, and the Americas by application of the best technical, organizational, economic, and socio-political practices. Significantly, anticipated Gavi support will enable improved access of human rabies vaccines in lesser developed countries at a national level, with integrated bite management, dose-sparing regimens, and a 1 week vaccination schedule.
Rodney E Rohde; Charles E Rupprecht. Update on lyssaviruses and rabies: will past progress play as prologue in the near term towards future elimination? Faculty Reviews 2020, 9, 1 .
AMA StyleRodney E Rohde, Charles E Rupprecht. Update on lyssaviruses and rabies: will past progress play as prologue in the near term towards future elimination? Faculty Reviews. 2020; 9 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRodney E Rohde; Charles E Rupprecht. 2020. "Update on lyssaviruses and rabies: will past progress play as prologue in the near term towards future elimination?" Faculty Reviews 9, no. : 1.
Introduction: Rabies is a major viral zoonosis and neglected tropical disease, with a global distribution. Humans, domestic animals and wild mammals are susceptible to infection. Etiological agents reside in the Order Mononegavirales, Family Rhabdoviridae, Genus Lyssavirus. This acute, progressive encephalitis causes the highest case fatality of any conventional infectious disease. Tens of millions of humans become exposed annually to the bites of infected mammals, predominantly in Asia and Africa. Despite the existence of effective vaccines and immune globulins, tens of thousands of people, typically children in the developing world, succumb. Areas covered: Concentrating upon both historical and major published references from the peer-reviewed literature over the past 5 years, we describe current biologics for rabies prevention, newly recommended principles for prophylaxis and relevant future products in the developmental pipeline. Expert opinion: Modern human rabies biologics are pure, potent, safe and efficacious, when used in a timely and appropriate manner. Few individuals survive after clinical signs. Anti-viral compounds are not licensed. Experimental therapy, while obviously desirable, is highly controversial. Education on bite prevention and integrated risk management are critical. Access to affordable care, dose-sparing and shortened regimens of human rabies biologics remain key. Article highlights • Rabies, an acute, progressive, incurable viral encephalitis, is the most important viral zoonosis, based on related case fatality (i.e., approaching 100%), global distribution on all inhabited continents, a susceptible host spectrum consisting of all mammals and an extreme burden (e.g., >14 million human exposures and 25,000 - 159,000 human fatalities estimated to occur annually, in lesser developed countries, primarily in children) • As a vaccine-preventable disease, survivorship is virtually assured with appropriate biomedical intervention, in which modern biologics consist of safe, stable, effective cell and avian tissue culture vaccines, plus immune globulins or monoclonal antibodies (all developed during the 1970s-80s) • Updated prophylaxis recommendations focus upon shorter vaccine schedules, dose-sparing regimens by the intradermal route of administration and concentration upon local infiltration of wounds with rabies immune globulins • Although dogs are the most significant reservoir in lesser developed countries, all developed countries have eliminated canine rabies, and major geopolitical regions, such as Latin America, have made major progress towards this same goal, especially as mass canine vaccination is a cost-effective, long term public health prevention strategy • Human rabies mediated by dogs is targeted for global elimination by 2030 and by 2021, Gavi is expected to provide support for human rabies vaccines for post-exposure prophylaxis (subject to availability of funding for the 2021–2025 strategic period and alignment with the final parameters of its next strategy) • Increased production, lower costs and greater local availability of human biologics are expected to have a major impact in lessening the human rabies burden and future biologics may include new adjuvants, protein sub-unit, nucleic acid-based or recombinant approaches
Terapong Tantawichien; Charles E. Rupprecht. Modern biologics for rabies prophylaxis and the elimination of human cases mediated by dogs. Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy 2020, 20, 1347 -1359.
AMA StyleTerapong Tantawichien, Charles E. Rupprecht. Modern biologics for rabies prophylaxis and the elimination of human cases mediated by dogs. Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy. 2020; 20 (11):1347-1359.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTerapong Tantawichien; Charles E. Rupprecht. 2020. "Modern biologics for rabies prophylaxis and the elimination of human cases mediated by dogs." Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy 20, no. 11: 1347-1359.
Rabies immune globulin (RIG) is an indispensable component of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) because it provides passive immunity to prevent this otherwise inescapably fatal disease in Category III exposed patients. Even with decades of development, RIG products are still criticized for their high cost, lot-to-lot variation, and potential safety issues. They remain largely unattainable in most developing regions of the world, where demand is highest. In recent years, monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) have become widely accepted as safer and more cost-effective alternatives to RIG products. As an example, SYN023 is a 1:1 cocktail of two humanized anti-rabies MAbs previously shown to display extensive neutralizing capabilities. Here, we further assessed the efficacy of SYN023 in animal models of rabies, and found that SYN023 afforded protection equal to a standard dose of human RIG (HRIG) at 0.03 mg/kg in Syrian hamsters and 0.1 mg/kg in beagles. Potential interference with vaccine-induced immunity was analyzed for the MAbs at these concentrations. While individual MAbs did not interfere with vaccine response, SYN023 at dosages of 0.1 mg/kg and above resulted in reduced neutralizing antibody titers similar to HRIG. Thus, the in vivo characterization of SYN023 supports its utility in human rabies PEP as an efficacious alternative to RIG products.
Tzu-Yuan Chao; Shou-Feng Zhang; Li Chen; Eric Tsao; Charles E. Rupprecht. In Vivo Efficacy of SYN023, an Anti-Rabies Monoclonal Antibody Cocktail, in Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Animal Models. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 2020, 5, 31 .
AMA StyleTzu-Yuan Chao, Shou-Feng Zhang, Li Chen, Eric Tsao, Charles E. Rupprecht. In Vivo Efficacy of SYN023, an Anti-Rabies Monoclonal Antibody Cocktail, in Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Animal Models. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease. 2020; 5 (1):31.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTzu-Yuan Chao; Shou-Feng Zhang; Li Chen; Eric Tsao; Charles E. Rupprecht. 2020. "In Vivo Efficacy of SYN023, an Anti-Rabies Monoclonal Antibody Cocktail, in Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Animal Models." Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 5, no. 1: 31.
Rabies is a major neglected zoonotic disease and causes a substantial burden in the Asian region. Currently, Pacific Oceania is free of rabies but enzootic areas throughout southeast Asia represent a major risk of disease introduction to this region. On September 25–26, 2019, researchers, government officials and related stakeholders met at an IABS conference in Bangkok, Thailand to engage on the topic of human rabies mediated by dogs. The objective of the meeting was focused upon snowballing efforts towards achieving substantial progress in rabies prevention, control and elimination within Asia by 2030, and thereby to safeguard the Pacific region. Individual sessions focused upon domestic animal, wildlife and human vaccination; the production and evaluation of quality, safety and efficacy of existing rabies biologics; and the future development of new products. Participants reviewed the progress to date in eliminating canine rabies by mass vaccination, described supportive methods to parenteral administration by oral vaccine application, considered updated global and local approaches at human prophylaxis and discussed the considerable challenges ahead. Such opportunities provide continuous engagement on disease management among professionals at a trans-disciplinary level and promote new applied research collaborations in a modern One Health context.
Charles E. Rupprecht; Bernadette Abela-Ridder; Ronello Abila; Anna Charinna Amparo; Ashley Banyard; Jesse Blanton; Karoon Chanachai; Kai Dallmeier; Katinka De Balogh; Victor Del Rio Vilas; Hildegund Ertl; Conrad Freuling; Richard Hill; Guy Houillon; Miia Jakava-Viljanen; Suwicha Kasemsuwan; Jacques Léchenet; Louis Nel; Pranee Panichabhongse; Sira Abdul Rahman; Terapong Tantawichien; Joris Vandeputte; Wittawat Viriyabancha; Ad Vos; Ryan Wallace; Gowri Yale; Onphirul Yurachai; Thomas Mueller. Towards rabies elimination in the Asia-Pacific region: From theory to practice. Biologicals 2020, 64, 83 -95.
AMA StyleCharles E. Rupprecht, Bernadette Abela-Ridder, Ronello Abila, Anna Charinna Amparo, Ashley Banyard, Jesse Blanton, Karoon Chanachai, Kai Dallmeier, Katinka De Balogh, Victor Del Rio Vilas, Hildegund Ertl, Conrad Freuling, Richard Hill, Guy Houillon, Miia Jakava-Viljanen, Suwicha Kasemsuwan, Jacques Léchenet, Louis Nel, Pranee Panichabhongse, Sira Abdul Rahman, Terapong Tantawichien, Joris Vandeputte, Wittawat Viriyabancha, Ad Vos, Ryan Wallace, Gowri Yale, Onphirul Yurachai, Thomas Mueller. Towards rabies elimination in the Asia-Pacific region: From theory to practice. Biologicals. 2020; 64 ():83-95.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCharles E. Rupprecht; Bernadette Abela-Ridder; Ronello Abila; Anna Charinna Amparo; Ashley Banyard; Jesse Blanton; Karoon Chanachai; Kai Dallmeier; Katinka De Balogh; Victor Del Rio Vilas; Hildegund Ertl; Conrad Freuling; Richard Hill; Guy Houillon; Miia Jakava-Viljanen; Suwicha Kasemsuwan; Jacques Léchenet; Louis Nel; Pranee Panichabhongse; Sira Abdul Rahman; Terapong Tantawichien; Joris Vandeputte; Wittawat Viriyabancha; Ad Vos; Ryan Wallace; Gowri Yale; Onphirul Yurachai; Thomas Mueller. 2020. "Towards rabies elimination in the Asia-Pacific region: From theory to practice." Biologicals 64, no. : 83-95.
Lucille Blumberg; Charles E Rupprecht. Improving human rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 2019, 19, 1273 -1274.
AMA StyleLucille Blumberg, Charles E Rupprecht. Improving human rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 2019; 19 (12):1273-1274.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLucille Blumberg; Charles E Rupprecht. 2019. "Improving human rabies post-exposure prophylaxis." The Lancet Infectious Diseases 19, no. 12: 1273-1274.
Introduction: Rabies is a serious, neglected tropical disease. Zoonotic agents are RNA viruses (Genus Lyssavirus, Family Rhabdoviridae), global in distribution. As an acute, progressive, incurable encephalitis, rabies has the highest case fatality of any infectious disease. Warm-blooded vertebrates are susceptible hosts. Major mammalian reservoirs include mesocarnivores and bats. Given wildlife perpetuation, rabies is not eradicable, but is preventable and controllable, especially under newly available international guidelines. Areas covered: Literature review over the past 5 years reveals development of sensitive, specific diagnostic tests and safe and highly effective human and veterinary vaccines. Yet, tens of thousands of human fatalities occur annually, usually in Africa and Asia, primarily after canine exposure. Human and domestic animal vaccination, before or after exposure, is the single greatest preventative strategy following a rabid animal bite. Expert opinion: Significant progress occurred during the twenty-first century regarding vaccine development, doses, and schedules. Remaining barriers to widespread rabies vaccination include an inter-related set of economic, cultural, social, educational, ecological and technological factors. A basic understanding of local and regional root causes of cases historically allows for broader accessibility to vaccination in a trans-disciplinary fashion to meet the global elimination of human rabies caused via dogs (GEHRD) by 2030.
Charles E. Rupprecht; Naseem Salahuddin. Current status of human rabies prevention: remaining barriers to global biologics accessibility and disease elimination. Expert Review of Vaccines 2019, 18, 629 -640.
AMA StyleCharles E. Rupprecht, Naseem Salahuddin. Current status of human rabies prevention: remaining barriers to global biologics accessibility and disease elimination. Expert Review of Vaccines. 2019; 18 (6):629-640.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCharles E. Rupprecht; Naseem Salahuddin. 2019. "Current status of human rabies prevention: remaining barriers to global biologics accessibility and disease elimination." Expert Review of Vaccines 18, no. 6: 629-640.
The elimination of human rabies mediated by dogs is attainable in concept, based upon current sensitive and specific diagnostic methods, existing safe and effective human and veterinary vaccines and a sound virological, pathological and epidemiological understanding of the disease. Globally, all developed countries achieved this goal. Regionally, major progress occurred throughout the Americas. However, less advancement is evident in Africa and Asia. Our objective was to concentrate upon those salient improvements to extant tools and methods over the next five years which could assist and simplify the task for both those developing countries that have already begun the process, as well as other localities in the earlier stages of consideration. We considered several categories of applied research which could be accomplished in the short term, based upon the available scientific evidence and recent recommendations from subject matter experts and key opinion leaders, focused upon perceived major limitations to prior program success. Areas of concentration included: laboratory-based surveillance, pathogen detection and characterization; human rabies prophylaxis; veterinary biologics; implementation of canine vaccination; and oral vaccination of free-ranging community dogs. Further real-time application in these core areas with proven techniques and technology would simplify attaining not only the global goal focused subtly upon human mortality, but the actual elimination of canine rabies as well.
Charles E. Rupprecht; Ivan V. Kuzmin; Gowri Yale; Thirumeni Nagarajan; Francois-Xavier Meslin. Priorities in applied research to ensure programmatic success in the global elimination of canine rabies. Vaccine 2019, 37, A77 -A84.
AMA StyleCharles E. Rupprecht, Ivan V. Kuzmin, Gowri Yale, Thirumeni Nagarajan, Francois-Xavier Meslin. Priorities in applied research to ensure programmatic success in the global elimination of canine rabies. Vaccine. 2019; 37 ():A77-A84.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCharles E. Rupprecht; Ivan V. Kuzmin; Gowri Yale; Thirumeni Nagarajan; Francois-Xavier Meslin. 2019. "Priorities in applied research to ensure programmatic success in the global elimination of canine rabies." Vaccine 37, no. : A77-A84.
Book reviews express the opinions of the individual authors regarding the value of the book's content for Journal of Wildlife Diseases readers. The reviews are subjective assessments and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, nor do they establish any official policy of the Wildlife Disease Association.
Charles Rupprecht; Annette Roug. Book Review. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 2019, 55, 275 -277.
AMA StyleCharles Rupprecht, Annette Roug. Book Review. Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 2019; 55 (1):275-277.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCharles Rupprecht; Annette Roug. 2019. "Book Review." Journal of Wildlife Diseases 55, no. 1: 275-277.
Rabies virus is the only Lyssavirus species found in the Americas. In discussions about rabies, Latin America and the Caribbean are often grouped together. Our study aimed to independently analyse the rabies situation in the Caribbean and examine changes in rabies spatiotemporal epidemiology. A questionnaire was administered to the 33 member countries and territories of the Caribbean Animal Health Network (CaribVET) to collect current data, which was collated with a literature review. Rabies was endemic in ten Caribbean localities, with the dog, mongoose, and vampire bat identified as enzootic reservoirs. The majority of animal cases occurred in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti, while human cases only consistently occurred in the latter two areas. Rabies vaccination was conducted for high-risk animal populations with variable coverage, and rabies diagnostic capacities varied widely throughout the region. Illegal importation and natural migration of animals may facilitate the introduction of rabies virus variants into virus-naïve areas. Passive surveillance, together with enhanced methods and serological screening techniques, can therefore be of value. The insularity of the Caribbean makes it ideal for conducting pilot studies on reservoir host population management. Best practice guidelines developed for these reservoir hosts can be individually modified to the epidemiological status and available resources within each locality.
Janine F. R. Seetahal; Alexandra Vokaty; Marco Antonio Vigilato; Christine V. F. Carrington; Jennifer Pradel; Bowen Louison; Astrid Van Sauers; Rohini Roopnarine; Jusayma C. González Arrebato; Max F. Millien; Colin James; Charles E. Rupprecht. Rabies in the Caribbean: A Situational Analysis and Historic Review. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 2018, 3, 89 .
AMA StyleJanine F. R. Seetahal, Alexandra Vokaty, Marco Antonio Vigilato, Christine V. F. Carrington, Jennifer Pradel, Bowen Louison, Astrid Van Sauers, Rohini Roopnarine, Jusayma C. González Arrebato, Max F. Millien, Colin James, Charles E. Rupprecht. Rabies in the Caribbean: A Situational Analysis and Historic Review. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease. 2018; 3 (3):89.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJanine F. R. Seetahal; Alexandra Vokaty; Marco Antonio Vigilato; Christine V. F. Carrington; Jennifer Pradel; Bowen Louison; Astrid Van Sauers; Rohini Roopnarine; Jusayma C. González Arrebato; Max F. Millien; Colin James; Charles E. Rupprecht. 2018. "Rabies in the Caribbean: A Situational Analysis and Historic Review." Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 3, no. 3: 89.
Due to an error during production, the order in which Figure 1 and Figure 2 appear and the linking of the Figure 1 and Figure 2 captions in the Results section of the published paper [1] were incorrect. A corrected version of the Figure order and associated captions is provided below
Charles E. Rupprecht; Zhiquan Xiang; Alexandre Servat; Richard Franka; Jordona Kirby; Hildegund C. J. Ertl. Erratum: Rupprecht, C.E., et al. Additional Progress in the Development and Application of a Direct, Rapid Immunohistochemical Test for Rabies Diagnosis. Vet. Sci. 2018, 5, 59. Veterinary Sciences 2018, 5, 68 .
AMA StyleCharles E. Rupprecht, Zhiquan Xiang, Alexandre Servat, Richard Franka, Jordona Kirby, Hildegund C. J. Ertl. Erratum: Rupprecht, C.E., et al. Additional Progress in the Development and Application of a Direct, Rapid Immunohistochemical Test for Rabies Diagnosis. Vet. Sci. 2018, 5, 59. Veterinary Sciences. 2018; 5 (3):68.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCharles E. Rupprecht; Zhiquan Xiang; Alexandre Servat; Richard Franka; Jordona Kirby; Hildegund C. J. Ertl. 2018. "Erratum: Rupprecht, C.E., et al. Additional Progress in the Development and Application of a Direct, Rapid Immunohistochemical Test for Rabies Diagnosis. Vet. Sci. 2018, 5, 59." Veterinary Sciences 5, no. 3: 68.
Rabies is a neglected but preventable viral zoonosis that poses a substantial threat to public health. In this regard, a global program has been initiated for the elimination of human rabies caused by rabid dogs through the mass vaccination of canine populations. Geographic areas vary greatly towards attainment of this objective. For example, while dog-mediated and wildlife rabies have been largely controlled in major parts of the Americas and Western Europe, the Middle East still grapples with human rabies transmitted by unvaccinated dogs and cats. Rabies prevention and control in the Middle East is quite difficult because the region is transcontinental, encompassing portions of Africa, Asia, and Europe, while consisting of politically, culturally, and economically diverse countries that are often subject to war and unrest. Consequently, one over-riding dilemma is the misinformation or complete lack of rabies surveillance data from this area. This communication is an attempt to provide an overview of rabies in the Middle East, as a cohesive approach for the honing of disease management in each area, based on data compiled from multiple sources. In addition, the related regional transboundary movement of rabies was investigated through phylogenetic studies of available viral gene sequences. Thereafter, the epidemiological status of rabies was assessed for the region. Finally, localities were classified first by the Stepwise Approach towards Rabies Elimination framework and then categorized into four different groups based on management theme: “rabies free”; owned dog and domestic animal vaccination; community dog vaccination; and wildlife vaccination. The classification system proposed herein may serve as a baseline for future efforts. This is especially important due to the severe lack of rabies information available for the Middle East as a whole and a need for a comprehensive program focusing on the entirety of the region in light of renewed international commitment towards canine rabies elimination.
Hossein Bannazadeh Baghi; Farbod Alinezhad; Ivan Kuzmin; Charles E. Rupprecht. A Perspective on Rabies in the Middle East—Beyond Neglect. Veterinary Sciences 2018, 5, 67 .
AMA StyleHossein Bannazadeh Baghi, Farbod Alinezhad, Ivan Kuzmin, Charles E. Rupprecht. A Perspective on Rabies in the Middle East—Beyond Neglect. Veterinary Sciences. 2018; 5 (3):67.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHossein Bannazadeh Baghi; Farbod Alinezhad; Ivan Kuzmin; Charles E. Rupprecht. 2018. "A Perspective on Rabies in the Middle East—Beyond Neglect." Veterinary Sciences 5, no. 3: 67.
The mass vaccination of dogs is a proven tool for rabies prevention. Besides parenteral delivery of inactivated vaccines, over the past several decades, several self-replicating biologics, including modified-live, attenuated and recombinant viruses, have been evaluated for the oral vaccination of dogs against rabies. Vaccines are included within an attractive bait for oral consumption by free-ranging dogs. Due to the high affinity between dogs and humans, such biologics intended for oral vaccination of dogs (OVD) need to be efficacious as well as safe. Baits should be preferentially attractive to dogs and not to non-target species. Although many different types have been evaluated successfully, no universal bait has been identified to date. Moreover, high bait acceptance does not necessarily mean that vaccine efficacy and programmatic success is predictable. The use of OVD in the laboratory and field has demonstrated the safety and utility of this technology. Within a One Health context, OVD should be considered as part of a holistic plan for the global elimination of canine rabies.
Florence Cliquet; Anne-Laure Guiot; Michel Aubert; Emmanuelle Robardet; Charles E. Rupprecht; François-Xavier Meslin. Oral vaccination of dogs: a well-studied and undervalued tool for achieving human and dog rabies elimination. Veterinary Research 2018, 49, 1 -11.
AMA StyleFlorence Cliquet, Anne-Laure Guiot, Michel Aubert, Emmanuelle Robardet, Charles E. Rupprecht, François-Xavier Meslin. Oral vaccination of dogs: a well-studied and undervalued tool for achieving human and dog rabies elimination. Veterinary Research. 2018; 49 (1):1-11.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFlorence Cliquet; Anne-Laure Guiot; Michel Aubert; Emmanuelle Robardet; Charles E. Rupprecht; François-Xavier Meslin. 2018. "Oral vaccination of dogs: a well-studied and undervalued tool for achieving human and dog rabies elimination." Veterinary Research 49, no. 1: 1-11.
Rabies is a significant neglected vaccine-preventable disease that is global in distribution. Multiple biologics are utilized in routine prevention and control of this zoonosis. Currently, rabies vaccines are used to interrupt a productive viral encephalitis before or after pathogen exposure in humans and animals. In addition, rabies immune globulins are used as part of prophylaxis after human exposure to a known or suspect animal. Such rabid animals are diagnosed based upon antigenic detection in the brain by selective antibody conjugates. Although experimental proof of concept has been demonstrated in a variety of systems, to date no plant-produced biologics have been licensed for such applications in rabies surveillance, prevention or control. In addition, given the breadth of the host spectrum, there are multiple domestic and wild mammalian species that lack specific vaccines and the cross reactivity of existing products is limited by considerable viral diversity. Hence, if safe, effective and inexpensive biologics may be produced in plants, especially for oral delivery, there is a considerable global niche to fill within the realms of public health, veterinary medicine and conservation biology.
Charles E. Rupprecht; Rachel Chikwamba. Rabies and Related Lyssaviruses. Prospects of Plant-Based Vaccines in Veterinary Medicine 2018, 45 -87.
AMA StyleCharles E. Rupprecht, Rachel Chikwamba. Rabies and Related Lyssaviruses. Prospects of Plant-Based Vaccines in Veterinary Medicine. 2018; ():45-87.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCharles E. Rupprecht; Rachel Chikwamba. 2018. "Rabies and Related Lyssaviruses." Prospects of Plant-Based Vaccines in Veterinary Medicine , no. : 45-87.
Laboratory-based surveillance is fundamental to effective rabies prevention and control. The direct fluorescent antibody (AB) test (FAT) is the gold standard for rabies diagnosis. Recently, additional tests besides the FAT have been developed, such as the direct rapid immunohistochemical test (DRIT). In this study, our objective was to further refine technical aspects of the DRIT using a combination of two monoclonal ABs (MABs), 502 and 802, conduct additional testing among rabies reference laboratories using a diversity of animal species and rabies virus (RV) variants and compare the potential utility of the DRIT for end users via proficiency testing (PT) against the FAT. Considering the ideal molar ratios of biotin to AB in formulation of the DRIT conjugate, 3.9 was found to be superior to 7.4, for detection of RV antigens in the brain of a naturally infected raccoon. Optimization of the DRIT conjugate may also be dependent upon the apparent choice of specific viral antigens for testing, as a gray fox RV variant reacted less strongly than a raccoon RV variant in determining the working dilution of the MAB cocktail. Using the same MABs and protocol, the DRIT was compared to the FAT using more than 800 samples of mammalian brains, representative of more than 25 taxa, including in excess of 250 animal rabies cases from Europe and North America. Sensitivity was determined at 98% (96–100%, 95% CI) and specificity was calculated at 95% (92–96%, 95% CI). In a comparison among end users, PT of laboratory personnel resulted in values of 77–100% sensitivity and 86-100% specificity. Based upon these and previously reported results, the DRIT appears to be a suitable alternative to the FAT for use in lyssavirus diagnosis.
Charles E. Rupprecht; Zhiquan Xiang; Alexandre Servat; Richard Franka; Jordona Kirby; Hildegund C. J. Ertl. Additional Progress in the Development and Application of a Direct, Rapid Immunohistochemical Test for Rabies Diagnosis. Veterinary Sciences 2018, 5, 59 .
AMA StyleCharles E. Rupprecht, Zhiquan Xiang, Alexandre Servat, Richard Franka, Jordona Kirby, Hildegund C. J. Ertl. Additional Progress in the Development and Application of a Direct, Rapid Immunohistochemical Test for Rabies Diagnosis. Veterinary Sciences. 2018; 5 (2):59.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCharles E. Rupprecht; Zhiquan Xiang; Alexandre Servat; Richard Franka; Jordona Kirby; Hildegund C. J. Ertl. 2018. "Additional Progress in the Development and Application of a Direct, Rapid Immunohistochemical Test for Rabies Diagnosis." Veterinary Sciences 5, no. 2: 59.
Note: In lieu of an abstract, this is an excerpt from the first page.Excerpt Rabies is an acute, progressive, incurable viral encephalitis found throughout the world. Despite being one of the oldest recognized pathogens, its impact remains substantial in public health, veterinary medicine, and conservation biology.
Charles E. Rupprecht; Bernhard Dietzschold. Special Issue: Rabies Symptoms, Diagnosis, Prophylaxis, and Treatment. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 2017, 2, 59 .
AMA StyleCharles E. Rupprecht, Bernhard Dietzschold. Special Issue: Rabies Symptoms, Diagnosis, Prophylaxis, and Treatment. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease. 2017; 2 (4):59.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCharles E. Rupprecht; Bernhard Dietzschold. 2017. "Special Issue: Rabies Symptoms, Diagnosis, Prophylaxis, and Treatment." Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 2, no. 4: 59.
RABORAL V-RG® is an oral rabies vaccine bait that contains an attenuated (“modified-live”) recombinant vaccinia virus vector vaccine expressing the rabies virus glycoprotein gene (V-RG). Approximately 250 million doses have been distributed globally since 1987 without any reports of adverse reactions in wildlife or domestic animals since the first licensed recombinant oral rabies vaccine (ORV) was released into the environment to immunize wildlife populations against rabies. V-RG is genetically stable, is not detected in the oral cavity beyond 48 h after ingestion, is not shed by vaccinates into the environment, and has been tested for thermostability under a range of laboratory and field conditions. Safety of V-RG has been evaluated in over 50 vertebrate species, including non-human primates, with no adverse effects observed regardless of route or dose. Immunogenicity and efficacy have been demonstrated under laboratory and field conditions in multiple target species (including fox, raccoon, coyote, skunk, raccoon dog, and jackal). The liquid vaccine is packaged inside edible baits (i.e., RABORAL V-RG, the vaccine-bait product) which are distributed into wildlife habitats for consumption by target species. Field application of RABORAL V-RG has contributed to the elimination of wildlife rabies from three European countries (Belgium, France and Luxembourg) and of the dog/coyote rabies virus variant from the United States of America (USA). An oral rabies vaccination program in west-central Texas has essentially eliminated the gray fox rabies virus variant from Texas with the last case reported in a cow during 2009. A long-term ORV barrier program in the USA using RABORAL V-RG is preventing substantial geographic expansion of the raccoon rabies virus variant. RABORAL V-RG has also been used to control wildlife rabies in Israel for more than a decade. This paper: (1) reviews the development and historical use of RABORAL V-RG; (2) highlights wildlife rabies control programs using the vaccine in multiple species and countries; and (3) discusses current and future challenges faced by programs seeking to control or eliminate wildlife rabies.
Joanne Maki; Anne-Laure Guiot; Michel Aubert; Bernard Brochier; Florence Cliquet; Cathleen A. Hanlon; Roni King; Ernest H. Oertli; Charles E. Rupprecht; Caroline Schumacher; Dennis Slate; Boris Yakobson; Anne Wohlers; Emily W. Lankau. Oral vaccination of wildlife using a vaccinia–rabies-glycoprotein recombinant virus vaccine (RABORAL V-RG®): a global review. Veterinary Research 2017, 48, 57 .
AMA StyleJoanne Maki, Anne-Laure Guiot, Michel Aubert, Bernard Brochier, Florence Cliquet, Cathleen A. Hanlon, Roni King, Ernest H. Oertli, Charles E. Rupprecht, Caroline Schumacher, Dennis Slate, Boris Yakobson, Anne Wohlers, Emily W. Lankau. Oral vaccination of wildlife using a vaccinia–rabies-glycoprotein recombinant virus vaccine (RABORAL V-RG®): a global review. Veterinary Research. 2017; 48 (1):57.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoanne Maki; Anne-Laure Guiot; Michel Aubert; Bernard Brochier; Florence Cliquet; Cathleen A. Hanlon; Roni King; Ernest H. Oertli; Charles E. Rupprecht; Caroline Schumacher; Dennis Slate; Boris Yakobson; Anne Wohlers; Emily W. Lankau. 2017. "Oral vaccination of wildlife using a vaccinia–rabies-glycoprotein recombinant virus vaccine (RABORAL V-RG®): a global review." Veterinary Research 48, no. 1: 57.
Following rabies virus (RABV) exposure, a combination of thorough wound washing, multiple-dose vaccine administration and the local infiltration of rabies immune globulin (RIG) are essential components of modern post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Although modern cell-culture-based rabies vaccines are increasingly used in many countries, RIG is much less available. The prohibitive cost of polyclonal serum RIG products has prompted a search for alternatives and design of anti-RABV monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that can be manufactured on a large scale with a consistent potency and lower production costs. Robust in vitro neutralization activity has been demonstrated for the CL184 MAb cocktail, a 1:1 protein mixture of two human anti-RABV MAbs (CR57/CR4098), against a large panel of RABV isolates. In this study, we used a hamster model to evaluate the efficacy of experimental PEP against a lethal challenge. Various doses of CL184 and commercial rabies vaccine were assessed for the ability to protect against lethal infection with representatives of four distinct bat RABV lineages of public health relevance: silver-haired bat (Ln RABV); western canyon bat (Ph RABV); big brown bat (Ef-w1 RABV) and Mexican free-tailed bat RABV (Tb RABV). 42–100% of animals survived bat RABV infection when CL184 (in combination with the vaccine) was administered. A dose-response relationship was observed with decreasing doses of CL184 resulting in increasing mortality. Importantly, CL184 was highly effective in neutralizing and clearing Ph RABV in vivo, even though CR4098 does not neutralize this virus in vitro. By comparison, 19–95% survivorship was observed if human RIG (20 IU/kg) and vaccine were used following challenge with different bat viruses. Based on our results, CL184 represents an efficacious alternative for RIG. Both large-scale and lower cost production could ensure better availability and affordability of this critical life-saving biologic in rabies enzootic countries and as such, significantly contribute to the reduction of human rabies deaths globally.
Richard Franka; William C. Carson; James A. Ellison; Steven T. Taylor; Todd G. Smith; Natalia A. Kuzmina; Ivan V. Kuzmin; Wilfred E. Marissen; Charles E. Rupprecht. In Vivo Efficacy of a Cocktail of Human Monoclonal Antibodies (CL184) Against Diverse North American Bat Rabies Virus Variants. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 2017, 2, 48 .
AMA StyleRichard Franka, William C. Carson, James A. Ellison, Steven T. Taylor, Todd G. Smith, Natalia A. Kuzmina, Ivan V. Kuzmin, Wilfred E. Marissen, Charles E. Rupprecht. In Vivo Efficacy of a Cocktail of Human Monoclonal Antibodies (CL184) Against Diverse North American Bat Rabies Virus Variants. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease. 2017; 2 (3):48.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRichard Franka; William C. Carson; James A. Ellison; Steven T. Taylor; Todd G. Smith; Natalia A. Kuzmina; Ivan V. Kuzmin; Wilfred E. Marissen; Charles E. Rupprecht. 2017. "In Vivo Efficacy of a Cocktail of Human Monoclonal Antibodies (CL184) Against Diverse North American Bat Rabies Virus Variants." Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 2, no. 3: 48.
Enhanced rabies surveillance (ERS) is essential for sound oral rabies vaccination (ORV) decisions to prevent the spread of specific rabies virus variants in meso-carnivores and to achieve disease elimination. Use of a direct rapid immunohistochemistry test (dRIT) in North America for timely, accurate rabies diagnosis in the field has facilitated greater ERS emphasis since 2005. ERS used in tandem with exposure-based public health surveillance provides a comprehensive understanding of the geographic distribution of rabies as an aid to formulate effective management strategies for raccoons and other meso-carnivores. In 2015, best management practices were implemented for improving, reinvigorating, and standardizing ERS. A point system for weighing ERS sample categories was evaluated, to determine whether sampling emphasis should be focused upon ill or strange-acting animals, the highest quality category. During 2016, 70.7% of rabid animals detected through ERS in raccoon rabies management states were obtained from strange-acting animals, followed by animals found dead (14.1%), road kills (9.1%), and nuisance-collected specimens (6.1%). Sample category weights may be adjusted based on additional evaluation to ensure continued emphasis on the highest value samples. High quality ERS, in conjunction with serologic evidence of population-based immunity, form the backbone for ORV decisions in the elimination of raccoon rabies.
Jordona D. Kirby; Richard B. Chipman; Kathleen M. Nelson; Charles E. Rupprecht; Jesse D. Blanton; Timothy P. Algeo; Dennis Slate. Enhanced Rabies Surveillance to Support Effective Oral Rabies Vaccination of Raccoons in the Eastern United States. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 2017, 2, 34 .
AMA StyleJordona D. Kirby, Richard B. Chipman, Kathleen M. Nelson, Charles E. Rupprecht, Jesse D. Blanton, Timothy P. Algeo, Dennis Slate. Enhanced Rabies Surveillance to Support Effective Oral Rabies Vaccination of Raccoons in the Eastern United States. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease. 2017; 2 (3):34.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJordona D. Kirby; Richard B. Chipman; Kathleen M. Nelson; Charles E. Rupprecht; Jesse D. Blanton; Timothy P. Algeo; Dennis Slate. 2017. "Enhanced Rabies Surveillance to Support Effective Oral Rabies Vaccination of Raccoons in the Eastern United States." Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 2, no. 3: 34.