Fluorescent antibody staining of rabies virus antigens in the salivary glands of rabid animals.

Staining with fluorescent antibody of street rabies antigens in smears made from the salivary glands of rabid animals is described.The salivary glands of 157 animals, including dogs, foxes, cats, pigs, cows, one squirrel and one rat were processed with fluorescent antibody. In addition, staining was carried out for Negri bodies and virus isolation studies were made on the brains and salivary glands. By virus isolation from the brains, a total of 55 animals were found to be rabid. Of these, 51 were shown to have demonstrable Negri bodies and 49 were found to excrete virus in the salivary gland. Forty-eight of these 49 were found to have antigens in the salivary glands which could be stained by fluorescent antibody techniques and demonstrated by microscopic examination of smears made from six different areas of the glands.