Vol. 12, Issue 3 (2023)

Method: A total of 216 sera samples were evaluated from companion animals by using Commercial ELISA kits (Plateliatm rabies II assay ad Vetarinarium Bio-rad Ref: 3550180 USA), out of which 141 were from pet animals and 75 were from community animals.

Result: In pet animals, the highest mean antibody titre was observed in group II (<2 - 5 years) in pet dogs at 0.714 EU/ml and a group I (6 months - 2 years) at 0.763 EU/ml in pet cats. A significant difference were observed between age groups of pet dogs. In community animals, variables such as interval after pre exposure ARV and sex of the animals were considered. A total of 75 serum samples were collected from the community animals, and highest mean antibody titre of 0.662 EU/ml and 0.865 EU/ml were observed in community dogs and cats of group I (<1 month after ARV). No significant differences were observed between gender and anti-rabies antibody titre.

Conclusion: Compared to pet animals, low seroprevalences of rabies antibodies in community animals indicated that community animals are still susceptible to rabies virus infection in and around Mumbai.