Rabies: A pathomorphological and immunohistochemical evaluation in animals

Abstract

To study the pathomorphological changes and to evaluate immunohistochemical test in diagnosis of rabies, 114 brain samples from different animals like dog, cattle, horse and cat suspected for rabies were collected at post mortem. The brain samples were subjected for Negri body demonstration by Seller’s staining technique, fluorescent antibody technique, immunohistochemistry and histopathology. Immunohistochemistry and fluorescent antibody techniques detected more number (67.54 %) of rabies cases than Seller’ staining technique (56.114%). Histopathological examination demonstrated Negri bodies only in 50 per cent of rabies positive cases. The immnohistochemistry appears to be more sensitive and equivalent to FAT in significance and could be used as routine alternative diagnostic technique