Vaccination of exotic and wild species

Abstract: Exotic mammals are at risk from many of the same bacteria and viruses that cause disease in domestic species such as distemper, panleukopenia, rabies, erysipelas, and the herpesviruses. A similar situation exists with exotic birds, where markets are too small to sustain a vaccine industry. Economic realities mean that many vaccines must therefore be used in an extra-label fashion. On the other hand, industries such as the fur industry or rabbit breeding operations may use vaccines especially designed for those species. Wildlife vaccination is widely employed by governmental agencies to control zoonotic diseases such as rabies, plague, or brucellosis, or for contraceptive purposes.