No adverse effects of simultaneous vaccination with the immunocontraceptive GonaCon™ and a commercial rabies vaccine on rabies virus neutralizing antibody production in dogs

Abstract Parenteral vaccination campaigns are integral to the elimination of canine rabies. To maximize herd immunity in dogs, immunocontraception provided at the time of rabies vaccination should reduce fecundity and dog abundance. GonaCon™ has been used successfully as an immunocontraceptive in a variety of mammals, and by inference, the dog would be an ideal candidate for testing. As an initial step in evaluating a combination-vaccination program, we assessed the effects of GonaCon™ on rabies virus neutralizing antibody production in dogs after administration of a veterinary rabies vaccine. Eighteen feral/free ranging dogs were included in this initial study: six were given GonaCon™ only, six were given rabies vaccination only, and six received GonaCon™ and rabies vaccination. Antibody levels were evaluated over 82 days. The use of the immunocontraceptive GonaCon™ did not affect the ability of dogs to seroconvert in response to the rabies vaccine. Thus, GonaCon™ provides a potential immunocontraceptive for use in combination with rabies vaccine to increase herd immunity and address dog population over abundance to better manage rabies.