Rabies testing

Rabies testing is a test generally done on animals (predominantly wild animals) when a person has been bitten.

Since the 1960s, the standard test for rabies has been Direct fluorescent antibody (DFA). Because rabies is present in nervous tissue (and not blood like many other viruses), it is best to test for rabies in brain tissue. This test can only be done post-mortem.

The DFA test is the quickest, most reliable test available. Treatment may wait until proper quarantine of suspected rabid animals or ones who have exposed humans or animals through biting for no longer than 10 days. Treatment is expensive and potentially debilitating making it even more important to get accurate and timely results.

In living humans, several tests are required to diagnose rabies because no single test is sufficient. Samples of saliva, serum, spinal fluid, and skin biopsies of hair follicles at the nape of the neck are all tested.

Post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is the definitive method for protection from rabies after exposure to a confirmed rabid animal or bite from unknown rabies status animal. Vaccination provides protection but exposure still results in PEP requiring not as many inoculations. Post exposure prophylaxis is specific anti-rabies immunoglobulin (or antibody) providing passive protection via neutralization and clearance of the Rabies virus. This is the regimen to be followed in the event of any exposure of humans to suspect zoonotic vectors, while immunization, although effective, is predisposed to temporal limitations.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.