A new recombinant canarypox-vectored rabies vaccine

Progress in the development of pox virus vaccines has resulted in several recombinant, viral-vectored vaccines, including two used to prevent rabies in mammals. The first such vaccine was a vaccinia-vectored recombinant rabies vaccine used in Europe and the USA for oral vaccination of wildlife, including foxes, coyotes and raccoons. Now, a canarypox-vectored rabies vaccine has been tested in dogs and in cats, with excellent safety and efficacy. The canarypox vector (ALVAC) does not replicate in mammals but is capable of providing both primary and booster immunization against the product of the genetic insert, rabies glycoprotein. This vaccine has been licensed by the Department of Agriculture of the USA for vaccination of cats, both as a monovalent antigen and in combination with vaccines against other feline diseases such as panleukopenia, feline leukaemia, calicivirus and rhinotracheitis. Licensing of the vaccine for use in dogs is pending.