OBJETIVES
Photo:iBET
FIGHT-TWO intends to create a safe oral vaccine (without pathogens), to be distributed in the field, incorporated in foods suitable for wild rabbits. The administration of this vaccine does not depend on the capture and manipulation of animals, an absolutely critical aspect for the successful vaccination of wild populations. Spontaneous ingestion of the vaccine in the form of bait has the potential to protect a large proportion of populations of wild rabbits, a crucial aspect to lead to the interruption of the transmission chains of the virus in the environment and, consequently, to improve infection control in the affected areas.
The main objective of FIGHT-TWO is to develop a tool to help control viral hemorrhagic disease in wild rabbit populations throughout the national territory (continent and islands). DHV caused by the type 2 virus is currently a worldwide concern both for the implications that the reduction of the wild rabbit has on the food chains that this species feeds and, consequently, for the preservation of biodiversity, or for the economic impact that this disease has on trade of meat and domestic rabbit skins.