Advances in Diagnostic Methods and Typing of Rabies Virus **

Significant advances in the techniques available for rabies diagnosis have taken place over the past thirty years. The traditional method of histological examination for Negri bodies in the brain sections has been largely replaced by immunofluorescent staining methods for the detection of nucleocapsid antigen in brain smears (fluorescent antibody test: FAT) (Dean and Abelseth, 1973). Nevertheless, new laboratory methods for rabies diagnosis are still developed in order to increase the specificity and the sensitivity, reduce the time required for diagnosis, extend the detection to all the lyssaviruses, extend the sensitivity of the "intra-vitam" diagnosis and lower the cost of the diagnosis.