Wallace Ryan M, Lai Yuching, Doty Jeffrey B, Chen Chen-Chih, Vora Neil M, Blanton Jesse D, Chang Susan S, Cleaton Julie M, Pei Kurtis J C
United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Atlanta, GA, United States of America.
Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2018 Jan 2;13(1):e0189998. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189998. eCollection 2018.
Taiwan had been considered rabies free since 1961, until a newly established wildlife disease surveillance program identified rabies virus transmission within the Formosan ferret-badger (Melogale moschata subaurantiaca) in 2013. Ferret-badgers occur throughout southern China and Southeast Asia, but their ecological niche is not well described.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: As an initial feasibility assessment for potential rabies control measures, field camera trapping and pen assessment of 6 oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits were conducted in Taiwan in 2013. 46 camera nights were recorded; 6 Formosan ferret-badgers and 14 non-target mammals were sighted. No baits were consumed by ferret-badgers and 8 were consumed by non-target mammals. Penned ferret-badgers ingested 5 of the 18 offered baits. When pen and field trials were combined, and analyzed for palatability, ferret-badgers consumed 1 of 9 marshmallow baits (11.1%), 1 of 21 fishmeal baits (4.8%), 0 of 3 liver baits, and 3 of 3 fruit-flavored baits. It took an average of 261 minutes before ferret-badgers made oral contact with the non-fruit flavored baits, and 34 minutes for first contact with the fruit-based bait. Overall, ferret-badgers sought out the fruit baits 8 times faster, spent a greater proportion of time eating fruit baits, and were 7.5 times more likely to have ruptured the vaccine container of the fruit-based bait.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Ferret-badgers are now recognized as rabies reservoir species in China and Taiwan, through two independent 'dog to ferret-badger' host-shift events. Species of ferret-badgers can be found throughout Indochina, where they may be an unrecognized rabies reservoir. Findings from this initial study underscore the need for further captive and field investigations of fruit-based attractants or baits developed for small meso-carnivores. Non-target mammals' competition for baits, ants, bait design, and dense tropical landscape represent potential challenges to effective ORV programs that will need to be considered in future studies.
自1961年以来，台湾一直被认为没有狂犬病，直到2013年一项新设立的野生动物疾病监测项目发现狂犬病病毒在台湾鼬獾（Melogale moschata subaurantiaca）体内传播。鼬獾分布于中国南部和东南亚各地，但其生态位尚未得到充分描述。
方法/主要发现：作为对潜在狂犬病控制措施的初步可行性评估，2013年在台湾进行了野外相机诱捕和对6种口服狂犬病疫苗（ORV）诱饵的围栏评估。记录了46个相机诱捕夜；观察到6只台湾鼬獾和14只非目标哺乳动物。鼬獾没有食用诱饵，8个诱饵被非目标哺乳动物吃掉。围栏中的鼬獾食用了提供的18个诱饵中的5个。将围栏试验和野外试验结合起来并分析适口性时，鼬獾食用了9个棉花糖诱饵中的1个（11.1%）、21个鱼粉诱饵中的1个（4.8%）、3个肝脏诱饵中的0个以及3个水果味诱饵中的3个。鼬獾与非水果味诱饵进行口腔接触平均需要261分钟，与水果味诱饵首次接触需要34分钟。总体而言，鼬獾寻找水果味诱饵的速度快8倍，食用水果味诱饵的时间比例更大，并且弄破水果味诱饵疫苗容器的可能性高7.5倍。
结论/意义：通过两次独立的“从狗到鼬獾”宿主转移事件，鼬獾现在被认为是中国大陆和台湾的狂犬病储存宿主物种。在整个印度支那都能发现鼬獾物种，它们可能是未被识别的狂犬病储存宿主。这项初步研究的结果强调了对为小型中食肉动物开发的基于水果的引诱剂或诱饵进行进一步圈养和野外调查的必要性。非目标哺乳动物对诱饵的竞争、蚂蚁、诱饵设计以及茂密的热带景观是有效口服狂犬病疫苗项目的潜在挑战，未来研究需要考虑这些因素。
