Tests and Services Manual: Rabies
| DIRECT FLUORESCENT ANTIBODY (dFAT) TEST (ANIMAL SPECIMENS) This test is available on an emergency basis 24 hours a day—7 days a week. |
Specimen: | Refrigerated head of suspected animal only. Bats (killed) may be submitted as whole carcass. |
| Method: | Direct Fluorescent Antibody (dFAT) | |
| Turn Around Time: | 24 hours (Emergency Turn-around-time: 6 hours after received by the Rabies Laboratory) | |
| Special Requirements: | All animals for rabies diagnosis should be reported first to Veterinary Public Health Service 212-676-2120 between 9am–5pm weekdays and to Poison Control 212-POISONS after normal working hours. | |
| Laboratory Test Request Form: | Contact laboratory | |
| RABIES SEROLOGY-CLINICAL (HUMAN)(Reference Lab Test-NYS Wadsworth) | Specimen: | 10 ml of blood in red top tube or 2-3 ml of serum |
| Method: | RTCIT | |
| Turn Around Time: | 1 - 4 weeks | |
| Special Requirements: | N/A | |
| Laboratory Test Request Form: | Contact laboratory | |
| RABIES—CLINICAL (Ante-Mortem Diagnosis of Human Rabies) (Reference Lab Test-NYS Wadsworth) | Specimen: | see: http://www.wadsworth.org/rabies/prof/ante.htm |
| Method: | FAT, in-vitro virus isolation, virus neutralization, RT-PCR | |
| Turn Around Time: | 1 - 4 weeks | |
| Special Requirements: | N/A | |
| Laboratory Test Request Form: | Contact laboratory |