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In the present study, we evaluated both the immunogenicity and safety of recombinant raccoon poxvirus (RCN) as a mucosal vaccine vector for domestic cats. RCN is an orthopoxvirus that was isolated from healthy raccoons and has been used experimentally as a vaccine vector for rabies and other antigens in a variety of species, including raccoons, skunks, foxes, bobcats, rabbits, domestic cats, piglets, sheep and non-human primates. We evaluated the antibody response induced by a recombinant RCN vaccine expressing the rabies-G glycoprotein (RCN/rabies-G) administered to cats by the oral (PO), intranasal (IN), conjunctival (CO) or intranasal/conjunctival (IN/CO) route (dose: 10 plaque forming units or PFU). The IN route, either alone or combined with the CO route, induced the highest rabies virus neutralizing antibody (RVNA) titers. The RVNA titers remained high when measured at six months post-vaccination, demonstrating that the recombinant vaccine administered via these routes is very efficient at inducing long-lasting immunity. A dose-response was observed following IN vaccination in cats. Doses of 10 PFU induced strong antibody responses in 4 of 5 animals [geometric mean titer: 3.2 (log)]. None of the animals vaccinated with 10 PFU developed detectable RVNA titers. In this study, RCN/rabies-G viral shedding was below detectable levels. Nasal, oral and fecal swabs collected from these cats were negative for RCN by both virus isolation and by nested-PCR. In addition, no horizontal transmission of the virus could be detected. Gang-housed sentinel animals for each group did not develop detectable anti-RVNA or -RCN antibodies. To study tissue tropism of recombinant raccoon poxvirus vaccines, a RCN that can express the lacZ gene (RCN/lacZ) was constructed. Expression of beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) was validated in vitro and in mice in vivo. Cats were vaccinated IN with 10 PFU of RCN/lacZ. No histopathological lesions were detected in any of the tissues collected from these cats at 1, 4, 7 and 15 days post-vaccination. In addition, no virus or beta-gal expression was detected in any of these tissues. Controls demonstrated that virus could be reisolated from nasal swabs immediately after administration of 10 PFU to cats. These results suggest that recombinant RCN vaccines undergo limited replication after intranasal administration in cats that is sufficient to elicit strong, long-lasting systemic antibody responses.

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