Evaluation Of Anti-Rabies Hyperimmune Serum Prepared Using Different Adjuvants

Abstract

Anti-rabies virus hyperimmune serum was prepared in horses using both inactivated and live attenuated rabies virus (ERA strain) adjuvanted with three different adjuvants including 20% Alhydro gel, 5% Pet gel-A and 20% calcium phosphate gel. The six vaccine preparations were inoculated subcutaneously in three groups of horses, separately, as each horse group received 4 increased doses of an inactivated vaccine followed by 4 increased doses of a live attenuated vaccine (one dose twice weekly) with the same adjuvant. All prepared vaccine formulae were found to be free from foreign contaminants and safe with no post inoculation abnormal signs in inoculated mice. Monitoring of the levels of exhibited rabies antibodies in the sera of immunized horses using serum neutralization test (SNT) and quantitative ELISA kit revealed that the prepared rabies vaccines with 5% Pet gel A adjuvant induced the highest antibody titers (2048 by SNT and 2.20 by ELISA kit) with expected protection percentage 96.14% followed by those induced by 20% Calcium phosphate gel recording the values of 2048 by SNT and 2.11 by ELISA kit with expected protection percentage 92.2%. Lower values (1024 by SNT; 2.05 by ELISA kit and 89.59% protection percentage) were recorded for the Alhydro gel adjuvanted vaccine. These obtained data reflected the potency of the prepared equine anti-rabies hyperimmune serum (EARHIS) to be used for post exposure treatment in emergency cases and that is the Pet gel A was the best adjuvant to be used.

Keywords

• elisa
• era
• hyperimmune serum
• rabies
• serum neutralization