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This paper reflects on public health considerations on the voluntary releaseof anti-fertility vaccines for wildlife in the environment. The World HealthOrganization (WHO) has established a variety of recommendations on safety andefficacy requirements for the voluntary release of rabies vaccines used fororal immunization of animals.These requirements cover aspects of control of rabies and possible biologicalconsequences in the target population. They also deal with the protection ofthe health of humans and other non-target species that might come into contactwith the different oral rabies vaccines used in various parts of the world.These recommendations are laid down in several WHO publications. They arespecific to the disease concerned, the target animal reservoir, therelationship and types of contact between humans and target animals, thevaccines and baits used and the respective conditions of oral immunization ofwildlife in densely-populated areas. Many of these recommendations also applyto the development and application of contraceptive vaccines for wildlifecarnivores. Additional safety requirements concern the transmissibility of theantigen, the reversibility of the intervention within an individual animal andin animal populations, as well as the species specificity of the antigen used.The management of animal populations that are reservoirs for zoonotic diseasesis a possible means by which diseases that are transmissible from animals tohumans could be prevented. Oral contraception by means of vaccines is anappealing method, provided that requirements for protecting public and animalhealth, as well as ensuring environmental safety, are precisely defined andstrictly adhered to. |
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