Initial pen and field assessment of baits to use in oral rabies vaccination of Formosan ferret-badgers in response to the re-emergence of rabies in Taiwan

Details

• Alternative Title:
  PLoS One
• Personal Author:
  Wallace, Ryan M. ; Lai, Yuching ; Doty, Jeffrey B. ; Chen, Chen-Chih ; Vora, Neil M. ; Blanton, Jesse D. ; Chang, Susan S. ; Cleaton, Julie M. ; Pei, Kurtis J. C.
• Description:
  Background
  
  Taiwan had been considered rabies free since 1961, until a newly established wildlife disease surveillance program identified rabies virus transmission within the Formosan ferret-badger (Melogale moschata subaurantiaca) in 2013. Ferret-badgers occur throughout southern China and Southeast Asia, but their ecological niche is not well described.
  
  Methodology/Principle findings
  
  As an initial feasibility assessment for potential rabies control measures, field camera trapping and pen assessment of 6 oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits were conducted in Taiwan in 2013. 46 camera nights were recorded; 6 Formosan ferret-badgers and 14 non-target mammals were sighted. No baits were consumed by ferret-badgers and 8 were consumed by non-target mammals. Penned ferret-badgers ingested 5 of the 18 offered baits. When pen and field trials were combined, and analyzed for palatability, ferret-badgers consumed 1 of 9 marshmallow baits (11.1%), 1 of 21 fishmeal baits (4.8%), 0 of 3 liver baits, and 3 of 3 fruit-flavored baits. It took an average of 261 minutes before ferret-badgers made oral contact with the non-fruit flavored baits, and 34 minutes for first contact with the fruit-based bait. Overall, ferret-badgers sought out the fruit baits 8 times faster, spent a greater proportion of time eating fruit baits, and were 7.5 times more likely to have ruptured the vaccine container of the fruit-based bait.
  
  Conclusions/Significance
  
  Ferret-badgers are now recognized as rabies reservoir species in China and Taiwan, through two independent ‘dog to ferret-badger’ host-shift events. Species of ferret-badgers can be found throughout Indochina, where they may be an unrecognized rabies reservoir. Findings from this initial study underscore the need for further captive and field investigations of fruit-based attractants or baits developed for small meso-carnivores. Non-target mammals’ competition for baits, ants, bait design, and dense tropical landscape represent potential challenges to effective ORV programs that will need to be considered in future studies.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Animals Carnivora Ferrets Food Rabies Rabies Vaccines
• Source:
  PLoS One. 13(1).
• Pubmed ID:
  29293591
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC5749709
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Taiwan
• Volume:
  13
• Issue:
  1
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:5d63dcfc22f1326b6120e368e4bad3d1175bcc09a081bebb8514ed73250081aa
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/59888/cdc_59888_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 17.88 MB ]