Rabies DFA
Lab test instructions for Rabies DFA
Diseases
- Rabies
- Acute Viral Encephalomyelitis
Organisms
Rabies Virus
Test Method
Direct Fluorescence Assay (DFA)
Availability
- All clients must consult with the Section of Epidemiology for approval before testing.
- Call ASVL before you ship an authorized specimen. Be prepared to tell us how you shipped it and when to expect it.
Specimens can be submitted by health care providers, veterinarians, environmental health officers, wildlife agents, law officers or other individuals designated by the Section of Epidemiology.
Testing for human rabies is available from CDC with approval from Section of Epidemiology.
Specimen type
Animal remains
Specimen collection instructions
Please refer to the Rabies Investigation Form for complete instructions.
- Wear PPE when processing specimens.
- No living animal will be accepted for rabies testing
- For small animals weighing 15 pounds or less, ship the entire carcass. Examples include cats, ferrets, mink, voles, hares and bats.
- For large animals weighing greater than 15 pounds, ship only the intact head of the animal. Examples include dogs, wolves, and bears.
- Do not ship the whole body.
- Do not attempt to remove the brain.
- Include the Rabies Investigation Form with each specimen and adhere the rabies shipping label provided to the outside of the shipping container.
- Refer to instructions for rabies specimen submission on page two for thorough description of specimen collection and shipping requirements.
Storage and transport
- Please refer to the Rabies Investigation Report Form for complete information regarding shipping, including a proper shipping label for the outside of the box to ensure it is compliant with shipping laws and regulations.
- Specimens should be kept cold (35-45°F or 2-8°C). Freezing the specimen will delay turnaround time.
Ship to: Fairbanks Public Health Laboratory, ATTN: Clinical Virology
Results
Rabies Virus: Positive/Negative
A normal result is negative.
