Efficacy of inactivated tissue culture rabies vaccine in dogs.

Inactivated, nonadjuvanted tissue culture-origin rabies vaccine was tested in 168 dogs for its ability to provide protection against challenge of immunity 1 year after vaccination. Several laboratory methods were used concurrently to measure the potency of the vaccine. When used at full strength, the vaccine protected 70% of dogs after either a 1- or 2-dose vaccination schedule. When vaccine was diluted to contain less antigenic mass, the 1-dose schedule was not as effective as 2 doses. High serum-neutralizing antibody titers developed by 7 days after vaccination, but the titers declined rapidly thereafter. The US reference vaccine protected 28 of 30 dogs.