Vaccine-associated rabies in red fox, Hungary

Abstract Rabies vaccine strain was isolated from a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) with signs of neurological disorder during an oral vaccination campaign in 2015, Hungary. The whole genome sequence of the isolated strain shared >99.9% nucleotide sequence identity to the whole genomes of vaccines strains recently used in Hungarian oral vaccination campaigns. The neuroinvasive potential of rabies vaccines that leads to development of clinical manifestations is rarely seen among wild animals; however, the observed residual pathogenicity needs awareness of field experts and requires close monitoring of rabies cases in areas where elimination programs are implemented.