OLS - Rabies

The Rabies Laboratory is responsible for screening animal brain tissue for the presence of the rabies virus and to further prevent the spread of the disease. This is the only facility in the state of West Virginia that can screen animal brain tissue for the presence of the rabies virus. A fluorescent antibody (FA) staining technique is used.

The standard protocol for accepting a suspect animal includes:

animals involved with biting or scratching humans
animals involved with biting or scratching domestic animals or livestock
occasional environmental "spot check" of areas (surveillance)
unusual situations involving the suspect animal such as a typical behavior

BURIED ANIMALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AND
WILL NOT BE TESTED FOR THE PRESENCE OF THE RABIES VIRUS

The Rabies Laboratory cooperates with many different public and private providers. The primary providers are county health departments (sanitarians) and veterinarians. Some secondary providers include medical facilities, local animal shelters, law enforcement agencies, USDA and the WV Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

The Rabies testing program serves two (2) purposes:

Screening provides a guideline in the treatment of persons exposed to a suspect animal.
It also provides a valuable epidemiological tool for the tracking and progression of the spread of Rabies in a particular geographical area or in a particular animal species

Latest epidemiological information regarding Rabies.

The Rabies Laboratory, along with the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Program (IDEP) and the Office of Environmental Health, work together to develop public health education programs.