Origin of maternally transferred antibodies against rabies in foxes (Vulpes vulpes).

During previous experiments, maternal antibodies against rabies were detected in the sera of fox cubs whelped by orally immunised vixens. These antibodies appear to be transferred exclusively via the colostrum. No evidence of maternally transferred immunity in the form of immunoglobulin G was found in 80 fox embryos collected from 19 rabies-immune vixens originating from areas where oral rabies vaccine baits had been distributed.