The Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene Rabies laboratory was 1 of 14 pilot study sites worldwide for a new rabies test developed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that could mean people exposed to potentially rabid animals could forego the weeks-long regimen of shots to prevent the deadly disease.
The new test, designed for use in animals, can more easily and precisely diagnose rabies infection, according to a study published in PLOS One. The new LN34 test is simpler and easier to use than current tests. During the pilot study, it produced no false negatives, fewer false positive, and fewer inconclusive results. It could allow doctors and patients to make better informed decisions about who needs treatment for rabies, which is nearly always fatal once symptoms start.
CDC news release about the study — https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2018/p0516-rapid-rabies-test.html
PLOS One journal article – http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0197074