Comparison of 4 laboratory tests for the detection of bovine rabies viral infection in Paraguay: fluorescent antibody test, rapid detection test, histologic lesions, and RT-PCR.
J Vet Diagn Invest
; 36(4): 522-528, 2024 Jul.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38653733
ABSTRACT
Rabies virus (RABV; Lyssavirus rabies) is a neurotropic virus that can be transmitted to mammals by the hematophagous bat Desmodus rotundus. An accurate, accessible method for the detection of RABV in cattle is necessary in Paraguay; thus, we evaluated the detection of RABV using 4 techniques fluorescent antibody test (FAT), immunochromatography rapid detection test (RDT; Anigen Rapid Rabies Ag test kit; Bionote), a reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) assay, and histologic lesions in different portions of the CNS of 49 Paraguayan cattle to determine the most sensitive and specific technique. By FAT and RDT, 15 of 49 (31%) samples were positive. By RT-PCR amplification of N and G genes, 13 of 49 (27%) and 12 of 49 (25%) were positive, respectively. RDT had high agreement with FAT (kappa = 1); sensitivity was 100% (95% CI 97-100%) and specificity was 100% (95% CI 99-100%). The amplification of the N and G genes resulted in substantial agreement (kappa of 0.9 and 0.8, respectively) compared with FAT, and the sensitivity and specificity of the N gene were 87% (95% CI 66-100%) and 100% (95% CI 98-100%), respectively, and those of the G gene were 80% (95% CI 56-100%) and 100% (95% CI 98-100%), respectively. Histologic lesions observed were lymphoplasmacytic meningoencephalitis, gliosis, and neuronophagia. The agreement observed between the FAT and RDT tests suggests that RDT is an accurate tool for the detection of RABV. Histopathology can be used to confirm lesions caused by RABV and to rule out other conditions; the RT-PCR assay is useful for molecular epidemiology studies.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Rabies
/
Rabies virus
/
Cattle Diseases
/
Sensitivity and Specificity
/
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Limits:
Animals
Country/Region as subject:
America do sul
/
Paraguay
Language:
En
Journal:
J Vet Diagn Invest
/
J. vet. diagn. invest
/
Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation
Journal subject:
MEDICINA VETERINARIA
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Paraguay
Country of publication:
United States