Research on an oral vaccine for kudus underway

The long-awaited, specially developed oral vaccine for Namibian kudus against rabies has finally arrived in the country after a lengthy wait. According to the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), intensive efforts are now underway to launch phase four of the project."Rabies among kudus has surged in recent months, and serious efforts are being made to find more affordable ways to protect the kudu population from this disease," the union said last week.During the initial phases of research, an oral vaccine used for fox populations in Europe was tested, with the expectation that it might also work for Namibian kudus.Although tests showed that the oral vaccine was effective for kudus in Namibia, it was observed that the animals required higher doses for adequate immunity. The implementation of such high-dose vaccinations in a natural environment revealed practical challenges, leading to the decision at the end of 2022 to discontinue this specific vaccine approach.Continued investigation In the meantime, the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) has developed a new vaccine specifically designed to address the rabies problem in Namibia.Armed with this promising solution, the management of the Livestock Producers Organisation (LPO) has decided to continue the research, according to NAU.A new contract has been signed between the LPO and the University of Namibia (Unam) for phase four of the project, and the collaboration between these parties will continue to test the new vaccine.The initial trials will be conducted on goats at Unam’s Neudamm campus, east of Windhoek. If successful, further testing will follow on kudus, potentially marking progress in combatting the rabies threat to Namibia’s kudu population.– republikein@republikein.com.na

Research on an oral vaccine for kudus underway

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-04

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Research on an oral vaccine for kudus underway

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-04

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