To Sukie Crandall concerning the possibility of finding rabies virus
in CSF:
 
   Suki - this possibility is fairly slim.  Remember - the virus would
most likley have to be cultured, and rhbdoviruses are notoriously
difficult to culture.  The possibility of false negatives are infinite.
 
About human tests for rabies - There is another viral condition which can
be transmitted to humans by rhesus monkeys and other macaques called
Herpes B, which causes a fatal encephalitis in humans.  When a person is
bitten, a biopsy is taken from the site of the bite which is then cultured
for the presence of the virus.  (Herpesviruses, though are fairly easy to
culture).  I wonder if this has ever been tried woth rabies bite victims
(but then you have the rhabdovirus culture problems again....)
 
My 2 cents n this issue (again?..)
 
  Bruce Williams, DVM                 Department of Veterinary Pathology
  [log in to unmask]         Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
  OR [log in to unmask]           Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
       (202) 782-2600/2602
[Posted in FML issue 1174]