MICROWAVE FIXATION OF RABIES SPECIMENS FOR FLUORESCENT-ANTIBODY TESTING

An adaptation of the conventional procedure for fixation of brain impr essions prior to rabies testing was developed using a microwave oven t o fix slides in less than 1 min. A total of 2394 routine specimens wer e examined to evaluate the efficacy of microwave fixation of brain imp ressions as an aid to shortening the turnaround time for reporting. Sl ides were fixed for 55-60 s in a standard household microwave oven at 50% power using phosphate buffered saline supplemented with 3% Tween 2 0 as a fixative medium. They were then stained using the standard rabi es immunofluorescent staining procedure with minor modifications. This process potentially could allow results to be reported to submitters within 1.5 h after specimens arrive in the laboratory. Microwave fixat ion was in complete agreement with conventional acetone fixation for d etection of positive rabies specimens. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.