RESUMO
Rabies is a contagious, neurotropic zoonosis associated with abandoned street dogs and low immunity. The disease has a reduced laboratory diagnosis rate because it is difficult to gather and transport sample material (brain). Based on this challenge, we studied the cervical medulla (CNS) as the pathway of de Rabies virus from the body to the brain. The cervical medulla was an ideal candidate for our study because its anatomy and location make it an easy material to gather. Our objective was to analyse the use of cervical medulla in the laboratory diagnosis of Rabies. Rabies viruses were intramuscularly inoculated into five Rattus species. After death, the brain and cervical medulla of each animal were intra-cerebrally macerated and inoculated. 100% positive for Rabies using the direct immunofluorescence (DIF) test and intracerebral inoculation. Overall, there was agreement between the analyses of the brains and the cervical medullas. Therefore, we propose the use of cervical medulla as a material for the laboratory diagnosis of Rabies.
