For a rabid dog: the Gamaleya center proposed to create a modern vaccine against animal diseases

The N.F. Gamaleya Center announced its readiness to develop a modern and affordable vaccine against animal rabies that can replace an outdated domestic drug that requires increased safety measures. According to experts, wild animals remain the main vectors of the infection, the outbreaks of which, along with pasteurellosis, are recorded in different regions of Russia. The vaccines used today were developed back in the 1970s and need to be updated. At the same time, pasteurellosis, unlike rabies, is a less dangerous bacterial infection and is treatable, the scientists noted.

New rabies vaccine

The Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology considers it necessary to create a modern domestic genetically modified vaccine against animal rabies. The drug currently used is based on an extremely virulent strain of the virus, which poses a deadly danger to humans. Working with it requires increased security measures, which significantly increases the cost and limits the possibilities of mass use. Wild animals remain the main carriers of the disease. Their vaccination is carried out using baits with the drug, which are distributed in their habitats.

— Rabies vaccine must be very cheap for mass animal use. The domestic product is made from a virulent strain, which is extremely dangerous to work with, so it is expensive. The Western vaccine for animals is genetically engineered. Therefore, for a long time we have been proposing to make a Russian genetically engineered drug for these purposes. But since the interaction between the various departments has not been established, the issue remains unresolved," Alexander Gintsburg, scientific director of the N.F. Gamalei National Research Center, told Izvestia.

According to Tatiana Grebennikova, head of the center's laboratory of molecular diagnostics, rabies vaccine for animals can really be dangerous, so reliable control is needed during its production.

— A safe inactivated drug is used for human vaccination. However, in regions where there is a lot of contact with wild animals, an oral, live strain is used for their vaccination. And he needs to constantly monitor the possibility of reversion (the process of returning a weakened pathogen in a live vaccine to its original pathogen. — Ed.), — she said.

The situation with infectious diseases of animals has worsened in many regions of the Russian Federation since the beginning of this year. On March 16, an emergency regime was introduced in the Novosibirsk region due to rabies and pasteurellosis.

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Spread through wild animals

Inactivated domestic vaccines are used to prevent pasteurellosis, but their use significantly affects the economic performance of animal husbandry, explained Valentina Fedorova, chief researcher, Professor of the Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology at Vavilov University, a grant recipient of the Russian National Science Foundation. At the same time, Russian anti-rabies drugs for pets remain effective, and the annual immunization of livestock is monitored by specialists from the state veterinary service. However, wild animals remain the main source of infection.

— Wild animals are the most difficult to control infection. Although vaccines are currently used in the form of edible baits, which are regularly laid out or scattered in places where they accumulate and move, it is impossible to track every individual who received or did not receive "his dose" for oral immunization. Animal migration should also be considered a negative factor, especially in the spring, and sometimes over very long distances," the specialist said.

Most of the currently used vaccines were developed back in the 1950s and 1970s. During this time, the spectrum of pathogens of infectious diseases, the formulation of feeding, animal care, the rules for the use of certain drugs and new strains, including antibiotic-resistant ones, have changed.

—All this requires regular monitoring of changes in the spectrum of pathogens in our country, which is important for correcting and updating the composition of manufactured vaccines, taking into account the current state," said Valentina Fedorova.

At the same time, pathogens are constantly mutating, changing the degree of their danger, overcoming the interspecific barrier, adapting and acquiring new properties. As a result, new variants of pathogens arise. Some microorganisms become extremely dangerous and do not always respond to standard therapy, as they acquire resistance to existing antibiotics, the specialist added.

According to Denis Kolbasov, director of the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Veterinary Virology and Microbiology of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the main obstacle to mass vaccination of animals is not the cost, but the unwillingness of owners to carry it out.

— Of course, we need a safer and more effective rabies vaccine. However, the cost of a classic drug for animals is ten times lower than the price of a vaccine for humans. In these circumstances, it is unclear who will be willing to invest in the development of a new generation of tools. Nevertheless, scientific research in this area must continue," he said.

According to him, vaccine strains have been used for decades and do not cause any quality complaints. At the same time, animal owners themselves often neglect them, he noted.

— Pets can also get rabies. The state provides an opportunity to vaccinate them for free, but this offer is not in high demand. Perhaps this is due to insufficient educational work," the specialist said.

In the case of rabies infection, the disease is incurable and inevitably leads to death, therefore preventive vaccination plays a key role. Pasteurellosis, on the other hand, is a bacterial infection and can be treated with antibiotics. Immunization reduces the risk of the disease, but there are other therapies, Denis Kolbasov noted. According to him, the main importance in the fight against pasteurellosis is timely diagnosis and prompt action.