title: [Laboratory diagnosis of rabies in the west region of São Paulo State].
abstract: The Pólo da Alta Sorocabana laboratory, Presidente Prudente, SP, Brazil, and the Biological Institute in São Paulo State, performed an evaluation of rabies diagnosis from 1996 to 2003 in the west region of São Paulo State. For the tests, the laboratories used direct immunofluorescence and mice inoculation in 4,950 samples, that were sent for analysis involving dogs, cats, cattle, chiroptera (bats) and other animals. According to the results, the laboratories found 74 positive samples; of which 58 (78.4%) were non-hematophagous bats and 16 (21.6%) related to cattle. The present epidemiological study verified that in spite of the high positive index in chiroptera compared to the other species, there was not an outbreak of rabies in the species in the region of Presidente Prudente, from 1996 to 2003 but a rise in the positive index due to a marked increase in the number of chiroptera samples sent to the laboratories for virus rabies research.
authors.affiliation: Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios, Pólo da Alta Sorocabana, Presidente Prudente, SP. nrpp@ig.com.br
authors.forename: Avelino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albas
authors.forename: Paulo Tadeu
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Zoccolaro
authors.forename: Talita Zacarias
authors.initials: TZ
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: Elenice Maria Sequetin
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Cunha
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002415:Cats; D002417:Cattle; D002685:Chiroptera; D004285:Dogs; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct / Q000662:veterinary; D006736:Horses; D051379:Mice; D011818:Rabies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000276:immunology*; D012377:Rodentia; D012756:Sheep; D013552:Swine