The province of Ontario (Canada) reported more laboratory confirmed rabid animals than any other state or province in Canada or the USA from 1958–91, with the exception of 1960–62. More than 95% of those cases occurred in the southern 10% of Ontario (≈100,000 km2), the region with the highest human population density and greatest agricultural activity. Rabies posed an expensive threat to human health and significant costs to the agricultural economy. The rabies variant originated in arctic foxes: the main vector in southern Ontario was the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), with lesser involvement of the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis). The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources began a 5 yr experiment in 1989 to eliminate terrestrial rabies from a ≈30,000 km2 study area in the eastern end of southern Ontario. Baits containing oral rabies vaccine were dropped annually in the study area at a density of 20 baits/km2 from 1989–95. That continued 2 yr beyond the original 5 yr plan. The experiment was successful in eliminating the arctic fox variant of rabies from the whole area. In the 1980's, an average of 235 rabid foxes per year were reported in the study area. None have been reported since 1993. Cases of fox rabies in other species also disappeared. In 1995, the last bovine and companion animal cases were reported and in 1996 the last rabid skunk occurred. Only bat variants of rabies were present until 1999, when the raccoon variant entered from New York (USA). The success of this experiment led to an expansion of the program to all of southern Ontario in 1994. Persistence of terrestrial rabies, and ease of elimination, appeared to vary geographically, and probably over time. Ecological factors which enhance or reduce the long term survival of rabies in wild foxes are poorly understood.
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VIROLOGY|
January 01 2001
ELIMINATION OF RABIES FROM RED FOXES IN EASTERN ONTARIO
Charles D. MacInnes;
Charles D. MacInnes
12
1 Rabies Unit, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Box 4840, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 8N8, Canada
12 Corresponding author (e-mail: [email protected])
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Stephen M. Smith;
Stephen M. Smith
2 Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
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Rowland R. Tinline;
Rowland R. Tinline
3 Geographic Information Systems Laboratory, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
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Neil R. Ayers;
Neil R. Ayers
4 Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Aviation Services, 2621 Skead Road, Unit 14A, Postal Bag #500, Garson, Ontario P3L 1W3, Canada
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Peter Bachmann;
Peter Bachmann
1 Rabies Unit, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Box 4840, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 8N8, Canada
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David G. A. Ball;
David G. A. Ball
3 Geographic Information Systems Laboratory, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
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Laurie A. Calder;
Laurie A. Calder
5 R. R. #4, Sunderland, Ontario L0C 1H0, Canada
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Sarah J. Crosgrey;
Sarah J. Crosgrey
6 R. R. #1, Elmvale, Ontario L0L 1P0, Canada
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Carolyn Fielding;
Carolyn Fielding
7 20 Heritage Drive, Bath, Ontario K0H 1T0, Canada
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Peggy Hauschildt;
Peggy Hauschildt
3 Geographic Information Systems Laboratory, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
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Janet M. Honig;
Janet M. Honig
3 Geographic Information Systems Laboratory, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
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David H. Johnston;
David H. Johnston
8 1080 Braemar Lane, Sarnia, Ontario N7V 3B5, Canada
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Kenneth F. Lawson;
Kenneth F. Lawson
9 13260 Keele Street, King City, Ontario L7B 1A4, Canada
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Christopher P. Nunan;
Christopher P. Nunan
1 Rabies Unit, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Box 4840, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 8N8, Canada
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Michael A. Pedde;
Michael A. Pedde
1 Rabies Unit, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Box 4840, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 8N8, Canada
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Bruce Pond;
Bruce Pond
1 Rabies Unit, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Box 4840, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 8N8, Canada
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Robert B. Stewart;
Robert B. Stewart
10 603 Earl Street, Kingston, Ontario K6L 2K6, Canada
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Dennis R. Voigt
Dennis R. Voigt
11 1457 Height Road, R.R. #3, Lindsay, Ontario K9V 4R3, Canada
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J Wildl Dis (2001) 37 (1): 119–132.
Article history
Received:
September 07 1999
Citation
Charles D. MacInnes, Stephen M. Smith, Rowland R. Tinline, Neil R. Ayers, Peter Bachmann, David G. A. Ball, Laurie A. Calder, Sarah J. Crosgrey, Carolyn Fielding, Peggy Hauschildt, Janet M. Honig, David H. Johnston, Kenneth F. Lawson, Christopher P. Nunan, Michael A. Pedde, Bruce Pond, Robert B. Stewart, Dennis R. Voigt; ELIMINATION OF RABIES FROM RED FOXES IN EASTERN ONTARIO. J Wildl Dis 1 January 2001; 37 (1): 119–132. doi: https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-37.1.119
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