Fear of rabies after getting vaccinated to end: Pseudovirus neutralisation to check if vaccine is effective

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Deaths due to rabies even after vaccination will soon become a thing of the past. The Thiruvananthapuram Thonnakkal Virology Institute has developed a pseudovirus neutralisation test to check the blood of humans and animals to see if the vaccine is effective. This is a test to find out how much antibody protection there is in those who have been vaccinated. The cost is only Rs. 500.

The cost of testing is high outside Kerala. Although there is testing in Bengaluru, it was not useful for Kerala. If the antibody level in a millilitre of blood is 0.5 international units or more, it will protect against rabies. After two doses, antibodies will form in the body. This varies from person to person. It will be strong in some. It will be weak in others. Testing at the Virology Institute will help to confirm this. That way, it can be decided whether to take the full dose or a booster dose. If the antibody level is high, a booster dose will not be needed. If a vaccinated dog bites a person, its blood can be tested to determine rabies immunity.

Test should be done after two doses

• The neutralization test should be done after two doses of the four-dose vaccine.
• The blood sample collected at the hospital and brought directly with a prescription will be accepted.
• The results will be available within a week, and there is a facility to test 96 samples simultaneously.

"The aim is to eliminate concerns about the vaccine and dog bites. It will also avoid wastage of the vaccine." - Dr. E. Sreekumar, Director, Institute of Advanced Virology