SAG-2 oral rabies vaccine.

The live modified rabies virus vaccine strain SAG-2 was selected from SADBerne in a two step process employing anti-rabies glycoprotein monoclonal antibodies. The first two nucleotides coding for the amino acid in position 333 of the rabies glycoprotein are mutated. Arginine at position 333, which is associated with rabies pathogenicity, was substituted first by lysine and then by glutamic acid. The two nucleotide differences at position 333 in SAG-2 to any of six possible arginine triplets translated into excellent genetic stability and apathogenicity for adult mice, foxes, cats and dogs. The vaccination of foxes and dogs by the oral route provided protection against a lethal challenge with rabies virus.