S2-1 NewDiagnosticTools_ProfFooks

New Diagnostic Tools for Rabies in Animals
Anthony R. Fooks
(1) AHVLA, Weybridge, UK
OIE Reference Laboratory for Rabies
WHO Collaborating Centre for Rabies
(2) University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK

Overview
I. OIE resolutions
I. 1st International Conference on rabies in
Europe held in Kiev Ukraine - June 2005
II. Towards the Elimination of Rabies in Eurasia
held in Paris France - May 2007
II. Collection and storage of samples
III. OIE prescribed tests for rabies
IV. Alternative tests for rabies
iii. (non-prescribed)

1st International Conference on rabies in Europe (Kiev Ukraine - 2005)
Towards the Elimination of Rabies in Eurasia (Paris France - 2007)
Resolutions –rabies diagnosis:
•Clinical diagnosis of rabies is not reliable;
–A definitive diagnosis can only be made by laboratory investigations;
•OIE reference laboratories and WHO collaborating centres work together;
–International harmonisation of laboratory methods for diagnosis;
•The recommended primary diagnostic test for rabies is the fluorescent
antibody test;
–Confirmatory diagnosis, where required, should be undertaken using the rabies
tissue-culture infection test;
–The mouse inoculation test should only be used if tissue culture is not available;
–The use of the polymerase chain reaction and other amplification techniques is not
currently recommended for the routine diagnosis of rabies;
•Serological methods should not be used for routine rabies diagnosis;
–There is a requirement for rapid and accurate serological methods (i.e. ELISA
tests) to replace currently used virus neutralisation tests.
First International Conference on Rabies in Europe (2006) B. Dodet, A. Schudel, P-P. Pastoret, M. Lombard (eds).
Developments in Biologicals 125.
OIE Terrestrial Manual; WHO Laboratory Techniques in Rabies.

Rabies is an under-reported disease
•In a cohort of 133
children with CNS-
related diseases
–14 (10.5%) –rabies
•Three of 26 (11.5%)
clinically diagnosed
cases of cerebral
malaria were laboratory-
confirmed as rabies
Mallawa et al., 2007

Objectives:
•Use of standardized diagnostic tests with regular inter-
laboratory tests in compliance with OIE standards
–Robust / Accurate
•High specificity / sensitivity
–Cheap
•Affordable
–Tests that do not involve the use of expensive
equipment / specialised laboratories
–Tests that are easy to use
•Tests that must be available and cost-effective for use
in rabies-endemic countries