IMMUNOPEROXIDASE TEST FOR RABIES - UTILITY AS A DIAGNOSTIC-TEST

Although a fast and reliable fluorescent antibody (FA) test for rabies diagnosis is available, ideally the diagnostic procedure requires fre sh or frozen brain tissues. In some instances (and particularly for re trospective studies), fresh or frozen tissues may not be available. In such cases, immunohistochemical tests may be utilized. Because such t ests have been used only in a limited number of cases, their diagnosti c reliability has not been thoroughly evaluated. This study documents the results of a streptavidin-biotin complex (ABC) immunoperoxidase te st on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded brain tissues of domestic and wild animals that were positive on FA test for rabies prior to fixatio n. Thirty-nine of 40 rabies cases were positive with the ABC technique . Based on these preliminary results, the ABC technique appears reliab le. However, more corroborative test results are needed before the ABC method can be used as a routine diagnostic procedure, especially with field samples and negative controls.