The present invention relates to recombinant raccoon poxvirus vectors that express the rabies virus glycoprotein gene at the hemagglutinin ( ha ) locus of the poxvirus genome or express the glycoprotein gene of the same or different rabies strains at the thymidine kinase ( tk ) and the hemagglutinin ( ha ) loci of the poxvirus genome, and their use as adjuvant-free vaccines. The raccoon poxvirus vector comprises the nucleic acid molecules encoding the glycoprotein of a Challenge Virus Standard rabies strain inserted and expressed at the tk locus of the poxvirus genome and of a Pasteur-Paris rabies strain inserted and expressed at the ha locus of the poxvirus genome. The vaccine may optionally contain a mixture of additional feline and canine antigens for immunization of animals. Also disclosed are methods for inducing an immune response to rabies in a mammal by administering to the mammal an effective immunizing amount of the vaccine of the invention.
