Evaluation of a rapid immunodiagnostic rabies field surveillance test on samples collected from military operations in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.

The Anigen Rapid Rabies Antigen Test Kit (Bionote, Inc, Hwaseong, Korea) was evaluated using 80 clinical samples collected by US military veterinary units. Samples for the study were obtained from brain specimens of domestic and wildlife animals that were submitted to the US Army Public Health Command's Veterinary Laboratory Europe in Landstuhl, Germany, for rabies testing with the direct fluorescent antibody test. The rapid immunodiagnostic test was able to detect rabies virus antigen in clinical samples of brain tissue. The rapid immunodiagnostic test had an overall sensitivity of 96.9% and specificity of 100% when compared to the direct fluorescent antibody test. The rapid immunodiagnostic test for rabies virus antigen detection is a straightforward test that can be run under field conditions and without a microscope or electricity, and yield results in 5 to 10 minutes. This rapid immunodiagnostic test is a quick, inexpensive, and easy to use surveillance tool that can identify rabies positive animals and help focus targeted control measures with the goal of reducing the rabies burden.