Aims:
The purpose of the project is to increase knowledge about rabies viruses and anti-rabies vaccines.
Vaccination campaigns in wild small predator populations have been carried out in Finland for years using bait vaccines to ensure the rabies-free status of the country. Vaccines are used to prevent rabies from spreading into Finland and to protect both people and domestic animals against the disease. Data previously assembled on eradication and prevention of rabies are utilised in the project and the scope of research is also extended by gathering new information about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines in order to define the best bait vaccine and the best time for the campaign in Finnish conditions.
The occurrence of rabies in bats is investigated, particularly in southern Finland where the European bat lyssavirus has been found. EBLV strains and the prevalence of antibodies are investigated to control disease risks. The strains potentially found in bats include EBLV-1 and EBLV-2 as well as other lyssaviruses. Information is also gathered on the habitat and movement patterns of bats and on any factors that can expose them to rabies. The EBLV-2 strains isolated in Finland are characterised.
Results:
The results will be utilised in the control and monitoring of rabies, in the development of diagnostics, in the infectious disease strategy as well as in the preparation of guidelines and in advisory activities.
Cf. List of publications
Keywords:
rabies, vaccines, virus studies
Responsible project leader:
Gadd, Tuija, Head of Unit, Finnish Food Authority, Virology Unit
Persons at Finnish Food Authority responsible for the project:
Nokireki, Tiina, Head of Section, Poultry and Fish Virology Section
In cooperation with:
Finnish Food Authority;
University of Helsinki
Project status:
In progress
Year of commencement:
2009 - 2012 Phase II
Year of completion:
2017 - 2020 Phase II
Publications:
Nokireki T, Sironen T, Smura T, Karkamo V, Sihvonen L, Gadd T. Second case of European bat lyssavirus type 2 detected in a Daubenton’s bat in Finland. Acta Vet Scan 2017;59:62 DOI 10.1186/s13028-017-0331-y.
Nokireki T, Jakava‑Viljanen M, Virtala A-M, Sihvonen L. Efficacy of rabies vaccines in dogs and cats and protection in a mouse model against European bat lyssavirus type 2. Acta Vet Scand (2017) 59:64 DOI 10.1186/s13028-017-0332-x
Nokireki T. Rabies in Zoonoses in Europe. 19.5.2017. Helsingin yliopisto.
Nokireki T. Bat rabies and vaccination recommendations in Finland. Nordic Zoonoses meeting 3.-4.10.2017, Helsinki.
Nokireki. Rabies. Kansainvälisen eläinlääkäriopiskelijajärjestön (IVSA) Suomen jaoston zoonoosi-ilta 28.11.2017.
Nokireki T. European bat lyssavirus type 2 in Finland, Surveillance, evolutionary analysis, and prevention with vaccination. Helsinki 2017. Virology Research Unit, Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira
and Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki
Nokireki T. Lepakkorabies. Suomen Eläinlääkärilehti 2017;2:101-2.
Nokireki T; Nevalainen M; Sihvonen L; Gadd T. Adverse reactions from consumption of oral rabies vaccine baits in dogs in Finland. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 2016;58(1):53. doi: 10.1186/s13028-016-0234-3.
Nokireki T. Kokemuksia työskentelystä rabiesviruksen kanssa. Suomen Bioturvaverkoston koulutuspäivä. Helsinki 16.4.2015.
Nokireki T, Huovilainen A, Sironen T, Vapalahti O, Jakava‐Viljanen M, Sihvonen L. Characterization and phylogenetic analysis of two Finnish EBLV‐2 isolates. the Xth International Congress for Veterinary Virology, ESVV 2015 & 9th Annual Meeting of EPIZONE. 31.8.-3.9.2015. Montpellier, Ranska
Nokireki T, Huovilainen A, Sironen T, Lilley T, Kyheröinen E‐M, Vapalahti O, Sihvonen L, Jakava‐Viljanen M. Detection of European bat lyssavirus‐2 in Finland and characterisation of the virus. Sigrid Juselius symbosium. 7.-10.6.2015
Jakava-Viljanen M, Nokireki T, Sironen T, Vapalahti O, Sihvonen L, Huovilainen A. Evolutionary trends of European bat lyssavirus type 2 including genetic characterization of Finnish strains of human and bat origin 24 years apart. Arch Virol 2015, DOI10.1007/s00705-015-2424-0
Nokireki, T.
Lepakkorabieksen seroprevalenssi on alhainen Suomessa.
Suomen Eläinlääkärilehti 2014: 1, s. 120.
Nokireki, T.
Rabies uhkaa edelleen.
Suomen Eläinlääkärilehti 2014: 3, s. 172-175.
Nokireki, T.
Rabies fortfarande ett hot.
Dansk Veterinær tidsskrift 2014: 4, s. 19-21.
Nokireki, T.
Rabies fortfarande ett hot.
Svensk veterinär tidning 2014: 4: s. 11-14.
Nokireki, T., Huovilainen, A., Lilley, T., Kyheröinen, E.-M., Ek-Kommonen, C., Sihvonen, L., Jakava-Viljanen, M.
Bat rabies surveillance in Finland.
BMC Veterinary Research 2013: Vol. 9, No. 174, 8 p.
Nokireki, T., Vapalahti, O.
Lepakkorabiesta esiintyy myös Suomessa.
Suomen Lääkärilehti 2013: vol. 68, nro. 7, s. 491-495.
Nokireki, T.
Eläinten raivotauti ja siihen liittyvät rajoittavat toimenpiteet.
Moodi, Labqualityn asiakaslehti 2013: 6, s. 194-196.
Nokireki, T., Huovilainen, L. T., Kyheröinen, E.-M., Sihvonen, L., Jakava-Viljanen, M.,
European Bat Lyssavirus-2; Detection and Follow-up in Finland.
9th International Congress of Veterinary Virology, 4 - 7.9. 2012, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract.
Nokireki, T., Huovilainen, A., Sihvonen, L., Jakava-Viljanen, M. Bat rabies surveillance in Finland. Rabies bulletin Europe 2011: Vol. 35, No. 1
Jakava-Viljanen M, Lilley T, Kyheröinen E-M, Huovilainen A. First encounter of European bat lyssavirus type 2 (EBLV-2) in a bat in Finland. Epidemiol Infect. 2010 Mar 3:1-5.
Jakava-Viljanen M., Huovilainen A. Bat and sylvatic rabies in Finland, abstract. Finnish Virology Meeting, Turku, Finland, March 18-19, 2010.
Jakava-Viljanen M. Rabies, abstrakti. Ajankohtaista tarttuvista eläintaudeista, Helsinki, Suomi, toukokuu 11, 2010
Kyheröinen, Eeva-Maria, Lilley, Thomas, Nokireki Tiina, Laine Veronika. Huovilainen Anita, Jakava-Viljanen, Miia. Surveillance project: EBLVs in bats in Finland. Poster abstract. 15th International Bat Research Conference, Prague, Czech Republic, August 23-27, 2010
Jakava-Viljanen M., Lilley T., Kyheröinen EM, Huovilainen A: Bat rabies in Finland in 2009. Poster abstract 2nd International Bat Meeting: Bat Biology and Infectious Diseases – Berlin, Germany, 19-21 February 2010
Kaartinen, L., London, L., Jakava-Viljanen, M. Variable antibody responses among rabies laboratory personnel. Abstract (ESCV Clinical Virology Winter Meeting 2008). ESCV 2008 – Clinical Virology Annual Meeting – Saariselkä, Finland, 12 – 15 March 2008, page 44, poster abstract P8-02
Rimhanen-Finne R, Jakava-Viljanen M, Lyytikäinen O, Davidkin I, Kuusi M. Rabies control in Finland: a 12-year experience of human and veterinary surveillance. Zoonoses Public Health. 2009 Nov; 56(9-10):496-501. Epub 2009 Feb 28.
Rimhanen-Finne, R., Raulo, S., Jakava-Viljanen, M., Kuusi, M. Raivotautitapauksia myös tautivapaassa Suomessa. Suomen Eläinlääkärilehti 3/2008, 152–155.
Rimhanen-Finne, R., Jakava-Viljanen, M., Davidkin, I., Lyytikäinen, O., Kuusi, M. Rabies in Finland: a twelve-year experience of human and veterinary surveillance. Poster abstract, European Scientific Conference on Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Stockholm, Sweden, 2007.
Jakava-Viljanen, M. Huovilainen A: Eurooppalaista lepakkoraivotautia vesisiipassa. (European rabiesvirus in Daubentonii bat). Suomen Eläinlääkärilehti 8/2009, 544.
Jakava-Viljanen, M. Rabies situation in Finland - surveillance and monitoring of rabies and monitoring of antibody levels in the vaccination area. Meeting on enhancing rabies eradication in the EU: international co-operation. 7-8 December 2006, Helsinki, Finland. http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/diseases/eradication/rabies_pres_20.pdf