Russian watchdog confirms live pseudorabies virus in dog vaccine batch tied to mass deaths

Russia's federal veterinary and phytosanitary watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, has confirmed the presence of live Aujeszky's disease virus in samples taken from batch No. 20 of the Multikan-8 dog vaccine, according to TASS. The samples were collected in Russia's Yaroslavl region.

The agency stated that the finding establishes a causal link between the mass deaths of dogs and their vaccination with the contaminated batch, which carried a virus fatal to dogs.

What is Aujeszky's disease

Aujeszky's disease, also known as pseudorabies, is an acute viral illness that attacks the central nervous system in domestic and wild animals and is fatal in most cases.

Timeline

In mid-August, dog owners began reporting in large numbers that their pets had died shortly after receiving the Multikan-8 vaccine, with the first cases surfacing in the Yaroslavl region. The vaccine's manufacturer, Vetbiokhim, recalled four batches in response. Rosselkhoznadzor subsequently ordered that batch No. 20, which comprised 60,000 doses, be withdrawn from circulation and destroyed.

Vetbiokhim has since prepared settlement agreements with affected pet owners. While the company has not formally acknowledged a link between the vaccine and the deaths, it has offered compensation to owners whose dogs died after vaccination.