Utility of forensic detection of rabies virus in decomposed exhumed dog carcasses

Authors

  • Wanda Markotter University of Pretoria
  • Jessica Coertse University of Pretoria
  • Kevin le Roux Allerton Provincial Veterinary Laboratory
  • Joey Peens State Veterinary Office
  • Jacqueline Weyer National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service
  • Lucille Blumberg National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service
  • Louis H Nel University of Pretoria

Abstract

This report describes four suspected rabies cases in domestic dogs that were involved in human exposures. In all these cases, the animals were buried for substantial times before rabies testing was performed. Animal rabies is endemic in South Africa and domestic dogs are the main vector for transmission to humans. Diagnosis of rabies in humans is complicated, and diagnosis in the animal vector can provide circumstantial evidence to support clinical diagnosis of rabies in humans. The gold standard diagnostic method, fluorescent antibody test (FAT), only delivers reliable results when performed on fresh brain material and therefore decomposed samples are rarely submitted for diagnostic testing. Severely decomposed brain material was tested for the presence of rabies virus genomic material using a quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (q-real-time RT-PCR) assay when conventional molecular methods were unsuccessful. This may be a useful tool in the investigation of cases where the opportunity to sample the suspected animals post mortem was forfeited and which would not be possible with conventional testing methodologies because of the decomposition of the material.

Author Biographies

  • Wanda Markotter, University of Pretoria

    Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, South Africa

  • Jessica Coertse, University of Pretoria

    Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, South Africa

  • Kevin le Roux, Allerton Provincial Veterinary Laboratory

    Allerton Provincial Veterinary Laboratory, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

  • Joey Peens, State Veterinary Office

    State Veterinary Office, Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs, South Africa

  • Jacqueline Weyer, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service

    Centre for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National
    Health Laboratory Services, South Africa

  • Lucille Blumberg, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service

    Centre for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National
    Health Laboratory Services, South Africa

  • Louis H Nel, University of Pretoria

    Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Downloads

Published

2021-12-09

Issue

Section

Case Report