Protocol for Postmortem Diagnosis of Rabies in Animals by Direct Fluorescent Antibody Testing

As knowledge within us we all know that rabies is a latin word that means, madness, rage, fury. Rabies is a viral zoonotic disease that causes acute encephalitis, inflammation of the brain in mammals. In non-vaccinated humans, rabies is almost invariably fatal after neurological symptoms have developed, but prompt post-exposure vaccination may prevent the virus from progressing. There are only six recorded cases of a person surviving rabies after the onset of symptoms.

According to the scientists and researchers, viral zoonotic is any infectious disease that is able to be transmitted from other animals, wild and domestic, to humans or from humans to animals, the latter is sometimes called reverse zoonosis. The simplest meaning of a zoonosis is a disease that can be transmitted from other animals to humans. The zoonosis can be clearly seen under a inspection microscope. A somewhat more technical definition is a disease that normally exists in other animals, but also infects humans. The emerging interdisciplinary field of conservation medicine, which integrates human and veterinary medicine, and environmental sciences, is largely concerned with zoonoses. These researchers and scientists have a standard procedure for postmortem diagnosis of rabies in animals through the aid of direct fluorescent antibody experiments. Direct fluorescent antibody also known as DFA or dFA is a laboratory test and with the aid of inspection microscope that uses antibodies tagged with fluorescent dye to detect the presence of microorganisms. This is the main test used to detect rabies in animals and requires the examination of brain tissue.

A fluorophore, in analogy to a chromophore, it is a component of a molecule, which causes a molecule to be fluorescent. It is a functional group according to them, a molecule that will absorb energy of a specific wavelength and re-emit energy at a different but equally specific wavelength. The sum and wavelength of the emitted energy depend on both the fluorophore and the chemical environment of the fluorophore. This technology has particular importance in the field of biochemistry and protein studies, example in immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. Fluorescein isothiocyanate, a reactive derivative of fluorescein, has been one of the most widespread fluorophores chemically attached to other, non-fluorescent molecules to create new and fluorescent molecules for a variety of applications. Further historically common fluorophores are derivatives of rhodamine, coumarin and cyanine. Rabies testing is a test generally done on animals, which is predominantly on wild animals, when a person is bitten by a dog or any other specie that has rabies with the aid of inspection microscope. The standard test for rabies has been direct fluorescent antibody test or dFA test. Since 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. Autopsy is also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy, or obduction, is a medical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to assess any disease or injury that may be at hand. A specialized medical doctor called a pathologist usually performs it. More on this topic