Thermotolerance of an inactivated rabies vaccine for dogs.

This study provides the first robust data that the antibody response of dogs vaccinated with Nobivac® Rabies vaccine stored for several months at high temperatures (up to 30°C) is not inferior to that of dogs vaccinated with vaccine stored under recommended cold-chain conditions (2-8°C). A controlled and randomized non-inferiority study was carried out comparing the four-week post vaccination serological responses of Tanzanian village dogs inoculated with vaccine which had been stored at elevated temperatures for different periods of time with those of dogs vaccinated with the same product stored according to label recommendations. Specifically, the neutralizing antibody response following the use of vaccine which had been stored for up to six months at 25°C or for three months at 30°C was not inferior to that following the use of cold-chain stored vaccine. These findings provide reassurance that the vaccine is likely to remain efficacious even if exposed to elevated temperatures for limited periods of time and, under these circumstances, it can safely be used and not necessarily destroyed or discarded. The availability of thermotolerant vaccines has been an important factor in the success of several disease control and elimination programs and could greatly increase the capacity of rabies vaccination campaigns to access hard to reach communities in Africa and Asia. We have not confirmed a 3-year duration of immunity for the high temperature stored vaccine, however because annual re-vaccination is usually practiced for dogs presented for vaccination during campaigns in Africa and Asia this should not be a cause for concern. These findings will provide confidence that, for rabies control and elimination programs using this vaccine in low-income settings, more flexible delivery models could be explored, including those that involve limited periods of transportation and storage at temperatures higher than that currently recommended.

Field evaluation of mosquito control devices in southern Louisiana.

The effect of 2 mosquito traps and 2 repellent systems on the catch of adult mosquitoes in American Biophysics Corporation (ABC) light traps was evaluated over a 14-month period at 3 locations in Louisiana. Devices evaluated included 1) ABC Mosquito Magnet with dry ice and octanol; 2) the BioSensory 500 cc Dragonfly Biting Insect Trap with CO2, octenol, and Mosquito Cognito, which uses Conceal inhibitor; 3) the SC Johnson OFF! Mosquito Lantern; and 4) the ThermaCell cordless mosquito repellent system. The number of adult mosquitoes caught in the ABC light traps, at the SC Johnson OFF! Mosquito Lantern, and ThermaCell cordless mosquito repellent treatment sites was significantly lower than the number collected at the ABC Mosquito Magnet or the Dragonfly/Mosquito Cognito trap system sites. When the 2 repellent devices were placed in combination with the ABC traps, mosquito numbers were significantly reduced when compared with sites with ABC traps alone. These data indicate that the SC Johnson OFF! Mosquito Lantern and ThermaCell cordless mosquito system may reduce attack from biting mosquitoes due to the reduction in their numbers. In the same study, the mosquito counts of the trapping devices also were reported.