Publications by authors named "Mel J Rivera-Rodriguez"
The small Indian mongoose (Urva auropuncata) is a rabies reservoir in Puerto Rico and accounts for over 70% of reported animal rabies cases annually. The presence of rabies virus-neutralizing antibodies (RVNA) is often used as a tool to measure exposure to rabies virus in wildlife populations. We conducted a serosurvey of mongooses at 11 sites representing six habitat types across Puerto Rico.
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- The Ontario Rabies Vaccine (ONRAB) is a recombinant oral vaccine effective in immunizing small Indian mongooses through direct oral delivery using Ultralite baits.
- In a study with 24 mongooses, 18 received the ONRAB vaccine while 6 received a placebo, with researchers measuring the presence of rabies virus neutralizing antibodies (RVNA) over 30 days.
- Results showed that 84.6% of mongooses that consumed the vaccine bait developed RVNA, while those that received the placebo remained negative, indicating ONRAB's potential effectiveness but suggesting the need for better bait design.