SEROLOGICAL RESPONSE TO MYXOMATOSIS VACCINATION BY DIFFERENT INOCULATION SYSTEMS ON FARM RABBITS.

Abstract

In order to assess the serological response to different vaccination systems against myxomatosis, five groups of 20 rabbits each were inoculated with a vaccine prepared from the Shope fibroma virus (Mixohipra-FSA®). Administration systems differed between groups: subcutaneous injection (group A), intradermic inoculation in one-shot one-impact (group B), one-shot three-impacts (group C), two-shots one-impact (group D) and two shots three-impacts (group E). Clinical signs, general and local, as well as serological response at 28 days post-vaccination were compared among the different groups. Vaccination did not affect health status of rabbits but it produced nodules at the inoculation site, mainly in groups vaccinated by intradermic route where the presence and size of the nodules were closely related to serological response. Although no differences due to the administration system were found in the serological response (P>0.05), subcutaneous injection and two-shot intradermic administration provided the most homogeneous responses.