Rabies testing

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

Since the 1960's, the standard test for rabies has been Direct fluorescent antibody test (dFA test). Because rabies is present in nervous tissue (and not blood like many other viruses), it's 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. This is important because treatment on the biting victim must start as soon after infection as possible. Furthermore, treatment is painful, 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.

Because the number and complicated nature of the tests, biting victims are sometimes advised to start treatment while waiting for the results.