A liquid-phase blocking ELISA for the detection of antibodies to rabies virus

A liquid-phase blocking ELISA was adapted to the detection and titration of antibodies to principally the nucleoprotein of rabies virus. Sera from animals that had either been vaccinated against rabies or inoculated with street rabies viruses, as well as sera from animals that had no recorded contact with rabies, were tested. These included sera from people, cattle, sheep, goats, dogs, laboratory mice, rabbits, yellow mongooses, wild dogs and lions. Where possible, the results were compared with those obtained with a commercial kit incorporating an indirect ELISA that measures antibody to the rabies glycoprotein. There was a high correlation (r = 0.79) between the two tests. The blocking ELISA provides a single test suitable for the rapid detection of antibodies against rabies virus in the sera of any animal species and for that reason is particularly apt for epidemiological investigations in regions where species diversity is important, as in southern Africa.