title: Evaluation of a monoclonal antibody-based rapid immunochromatographic test for direct detection of rabies virus in the brain of humans and animals.
abstract: Rabies diagnosis uses a direct fluorescent antibody test (FAT) that is difficult, costly, and time-consuming, and requires trained personnel. We developed a rapid immunochromatographic test (RICT) for the diagnosis of rabies. The efficacy of the RICT was compared with that of the FAT. Brain samples were collected from humans, dogs, cats, and other animals in Sri Lanka (n = 248), Bhutan (n = 27), and Thailand (n = 228). The sensitivity (0.74-0.95), specificity (0.98-1.0), positive predictive value (0.98-1.0), negative predictive value (0.75-0.97), accuracy (0.91-0.98), and kappa measure of agreement (0.79-0.93) were all satisfactory for animal samples and samples preserved in 50% glycerol saline solution. Because the RICT showed high sensitivity but low specificity with human brain samples, it is unsuitable for confirming rabies in humans. No amino acid substitutions were found in the antibody attachment sites of the nucleoprotein gene with FAT-positive, RICT-negative samples. The RICT is reliable, user friendly, rapid, robust, and can be used in laboratories with a modest infrastructure.
authors.affiliation: Research Promotion Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Yufu, Japan. ahmed@oita-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kamruddin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Omala
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Wimalaratne
authors.forename: Narapati
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dahal
authors.forename: Pakamatz
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Khawplod
authors.forename: Susilakanthi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nanayakkara
authors.forename: Karma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rinzin
authors.forename: Devika
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Perera
authors.forename: Dushantha
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Karunanayake
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nishizono
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001631:Bhutan; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D002415:Cats; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity / Q000379:methods*; D004285:Dogs; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011818:Rabies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013188:Sri Lanka; D013785:Thailand
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D012367:RNA, Viral