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Tropical medicine and infectious disease2018; 3(4); 109; doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed3040109

Assessment of a Rabies Virus Rapid Diagnostic Test for the Detection of Australian Bat Lyssavirus.

Abstract: Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) is closely related to the classical rabies virus and has been associated with three human fatalities and two equine fatalities in Australia. ABLV infection in humans causes encephalomyelitis, resulting in fatal disease, but has no effective therapy. The virus is maintained in enzootic circulation within fruit bats ( spp.) and at least one insectivorous bat variety ( ). Most frequently, laboratory testing is conducted on pteropodid bat brains, either following a potential human exposure through bites, scratches and other direct contacts with bats, or as opportunistic assessment of sick or dead bats. The level of medical intervention and post-exposure prophylaxis is largely determined on laboratory testing for antigen/virus as the demonstrable infection status of the in-contact bat. This study evaluates the comparative diagnostic performance of a lateral flow test, Anigen Rabies Ag detection rapid test (RDT), in pteropodid variant of ABLV-infected bat brain tissues. The RDT demonstrated 100% agreement with the reference standard fluorescent antibody test on 43 clinical samples suggesting a potential application in rapid diagnosis of pteropodid variant of ABLV infection. A weighted Kappa value of 0.95 confirmed a high level of agreement between both tests.
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Publication Date: 2018-10-04 PubMed ID: 30287778PubMed Central: PMC6306826DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed3040109Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article discusses a study that evaluates the effectiveness of a diagnostic tool, the Anigen Rabies Ag detection rapid test (RDT), in detecting Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) infections in bat brain tissues. The study found that the RDT exhibited a 100% match with the standard fluorescent antibody test, indicating its potential usability for rapid diagnosis of ABLV disease.

Objective of the study

  • The primary goal of this research was to assess the efficacy of the Anigen Rabies Ag detection rapid test (RDT) in detecting the presence of Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) in pteropid bat brain tissues.
  • The test’s performance was compared to the fluorescent antibody test, a commonly used standard test for detecting this kind of virus.

Australian Bat Lyssavirus (ABLV)

  • ABLV is genetically related to the classical rabies virus, causing encephalomyelitis, a fatal neurological disease, in humans and equines that have no known successful treatment.
  • The virus is found within fruit bats and at least one type of insect-eating bat. Potential exposure to the virus in humans, such as through bites or scratches from infected bats, necessitates laboratory testing.

Importance of Diagnostic Testing

  • The level of medical intervention and post-exposure prophylaxis, or preventative treatment, for individuals who come into contact with bats is often based on the laboratory’s ability to detect the virus in the bat.
  • The assessment of sick or dead bats also involves the use of lab tests. Therefore, having an efficient and reliable diagnostic tool is crucial.

Comparative Diagnostic Performance

  • In this study, the RDT showed a 100% agreement with the standard fluorescent antibody test, indicating its potential use in rapid diagnosis of ABLV infection.
  • This perfect agreement was confirmed using 43 clinical samples and the weighted Kappa value of 0.95, verifying a high level of agreement between both tests.

Implication of the Study

  • The results hint at the potential of the RDT to be utilized as a rapid diagnostic tool for ABLV infections. If validated in further studies, this implementation could significantly improve prevention and control strategies, particularly post-exposure interventions.

Cite This Article

APA
Certoma A, Lunt RA, Vosloo W, Smith I, Colling A, Williams DT, Tran T, Blacksell SD. (2018). Assessment of a Rabies Virus Rapid Diagnostic Test for the Detection of Australian Bat Lyssavirus. Trop Med Infect Dis, 3(4), 109. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed3040109

Publication

Tropical medicine and infectious disease
ISSN: 2414-6366
NlmUniqueID: 101709042
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 3
Issue: 4
PII: 109

Researcher Affiliations

Certoma, Andrea
  • CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Portarlington Rd, East Geelong, 3218, Victoria, Australia. andrea.certoma@csiro.au.
Lunt, Ross A
  • CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Portarlington Rd, East Geelong, 3218, Victoria, Australia. Ross.Lunt@csiro.au.
Vosloo, Wilna
  • CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Portarlington Rd, East Geelong, 3218, Victoria, Australia. Wilna.Vosloo@csiro.au.
Smith, Ina
  • CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Portarlington Rd, East Geelong, 3218, Victoria, Australia. Ina.Smith@csiro.au.
Colling, Axel
  • CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Portarlington Rd, East Geelong, 3218, Victoria, Australia.
Williams, David T
  • CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Portarlington Rd, East Geelong, 3218, Victoria, Australia. D.Williams@csiro.au.
Tran, Thao
  • Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. trantxthao@gmail.com.
Blacksell, Stuart D
  • Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. stuart@tropmedres.ac.
  • Centre for Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK. stuart@tropmedres.ac.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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