How to test for rabies virus?

This is an automatically translated article.

Rabies is a dangerous infection, usually spread from animals that carry the rabies virus to humans through bites and scratches with saliva. It is necessary to test for rabies virus as soon as possible to accurately diagnose whether you have the disease or not, for early treatment, to avoid endangering the patient's life.

1. Rabies Overview

Rabies is an acute inflammation of the brain and spinal cord caused by the rabies virus Rhabdovirus of the family Rhabdoviridae, strain Lyssavirus. Dogs and bats are the two main types of animals that cause rabies in humans through licks, bites,... Rabies can also be transmitted from person to person when in contact with saliva or wounds of a rabid person. According to the World Health Organization, every year more than 55,000 people die from rabies.
The incubation period for rabies usually lasts 1-3 months. However, the disease can also be incubated for a short time (less than 1 week) or a long time (over 1 year). The initial symptoms of rabies are similar to flu with symptoms including dizziness, fever, headache, etc. Patients may also have symptoms such as itching and discomfort at the site of the bite. After that, the patient is prone to brain dysfunction, confusion, anxiety, agitation, severe progression leading to delirium, insomnia, hallucinations,... The acute phase of the disease usually lasts 2 - 10 days. When the disease has shown clinical symptoms, the patient will almost die.
To prevent rabies, immediately after being bitten by a dog, the patient should treat the wound on the spot and go to a medical facility to be vaccinated. The rabies vaccination may cause some side effects such as swelling, redness, pain and itching at the injection site; Rarely nausea, dizziness.

2. Test for rabies virus

In humans, rabies virus cannot be detected in the early stages when the symptoms of the disease have not yet appeared. In general, testing for human rabies virus is rarely applied and is mainly performed on patients with clinical manifestations. Testing for rabies virus includes testing on humans and animals. Specifically:
2.1 Testing for rabies in humans Commonly used testing methods are:
Blood tests: White blood cells are often elevated, the percentage of neutrophils increases; Urinalysis : Increased proteinuria and leukocytosis; Cerebrospinal fluid test: There are results such as encephalitis, meningitis with mild increase in pressure, mainly mononucleosis; Imaging: CT or MRI results in nonspecific changes. In addition, a number of diagnostic tests are rarely applied but give accurate results: Perform a test for rabies virus in specimens (saliva, serum, cerebrospinal fluid and nape skin biopsy,... ) by direct immunofluorescence antibody (IFA) assay or by isolating rabies virus specimens by cell culture (or mouse culture). Blood and cerebrospinal fluid tests are used to check if the body has antibodies to rabies. Biopsy of the nape of the neck to look for antigens of the rabies virus. Today, new techniques can detect rabies virus RNA by PCR reaction or Real Time - PCR reaction.

2.2 Animal rabies testing Mainly done in dogs. There is currently no accurate test for rabies in live animals. Testing for rabies virus is only done when the animal is dead. To perform the test, the brains of the animals need to be taken and sent to a testing site to determine if a person is at risk of being exposed to rabies after being bitten by a dog or cat. Patients should go to reputable medical facilities for an accurate diagnosis of rabies.
Once the disease has developed, rabies cannot be treated, the patient will definitely die. Therefore, testing for rabies virus plays an important role for people who have just been bitten by an animal, have a high risk of infection, and help prevent and treat the disease effectively, avoiding the development of untreatable disease.
Vinmec International General Hospital is currently providing rabies vaccination services. Reasons to vaccinate at Vinmec:
Customers are given pre-injection health screening, advice on preventive vaccines, injection regimens according to age, instructions on how to monitor and take care of their health after injection in accordance with the recommendations of the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO); Having a team of experienced doctors and nurses, applying effective pain relief measures during vaccination;

100% of customers are monitored 30 minutes after the injection and their health is reassessed before leaving; Having a professional emergency team, the post-vaccination room is fully equipped with modern medical equipment, promptly handling the correct protocol in case of anaphylaxis, respiratory failure - circulatory arrest after injection strains; The vaccination room is cool and has a play area for children, helping customers to feel comfortable and have good psychology before and after the injection; Vaccines are imported and preserved in a modern cold storage system with international standard cold storage lines, ensuring quality; For customers who are children, Vinmec's system will send a message reminding the vaccination schedule before the injection date, and the child's vaccination information will be synchronized with the national immunization information system. To book an appointment for examination and vaccination at Vinmec International General Hospital, you can contact HERE.
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