Determination of effect of pre-exposure immunization against Rabies virus using in vitro assay.

Abstract

Rabies is a fatal infectious viral disease following the onset of clinical symptoms. Rabies virus is a strictly neurotropic virus that propagates in the nervous system of the infected host from the site of entry (usually due to a bite) up to the site of exit (salivary glands). In recent years a considerable progress has been made in understanding the molecular biology, structure and function of rabies virus. A quick and easy procedure for the diagnosis of rabies is the use of suitable dye for the detection of Negri bodies which has been replaced in most laboratories by the Fluorescent Antibody Test. It is most widely used and most accurate method for diagnosing rabies infection in animals and humans. One of the techniques is a Virus neutralization test which uses the principle of neutralization of a constant dose of a previously titrated challenge virus infecting the cells by the antibody in a dose dependent manner. Hence the correct application of inactivated tissue culture-derived vaccines (Rabipur®) is highly effective at preventing the development of rabies. In this study, pre-exposure immunization was performed in 2 subjects. The result depicted high antibody generation which was expressed in IU/mL. It was observed that pre-exposure immunization of subject resulted in a steep increase in the antibody titre against rabies.