Evaluating Rabies Test Accuracy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human and Canine Diagnostic Methods
<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Rabies is almost invariably fatal once clinical symptoms manifest. Timely and accurate diagnosis is essential for effective treatment and prevention. Dogs are the principal reservoirs of the virus, particularly in developing nations, highlighting the importa...
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MDPI AG
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Diagnostics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/4/412 |
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| author | Mayron Antonio Candia-Puma Leydi Pola-Romero Haruna Luz Barazorda-Ccahuana Luis Daniel Goyzueta-Mamani Alexsandro Sobreira Galdino Ricardo Andrez Machado-de-Ávila Rodolfo Cordeiro Giunchetti Eduardo Antonio Ferraz Coelho Miguel Angel Chávez-Fumagalli |
| author_facet | Mayron Antonio Candia-Puma Leydi Pola-Romero Haruna Luz Barazorda-Ccahuana Luis Daniel Goyzueta-Mamani Alexsandro Sobreira Galdino Ricardo Andrez Machado-de-Ávila Rodolfo Cordeiro Giunchetti Eduardo Antonio Ferraz Coelho Miguel Angel Chávez-Fumagalli |
| author_sort | Mayron Antonio Candia-Puma |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background/Objectives:</b> Rabies is almost invariably fatal once clinical symptoms manifest. Timely and accurate diagnosis is essential for effective treatment and prevention. Dogs are the principal reservoirs of the virus, particularly in developing nations, highlighting the importance of precise diagnostic and control measures to prevent human cases. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the accuracy of laboratory tests for diagnosing rabies in humans and dogs. <b>Methods:</b> The PubMed database was searched for published studies on rabies diagnosis between 1990 and 2024. Following PRISMA statement recommendations, we included 60 studies that met the selection criteria. <b>Results:</b> The results demonstrated the effectiveness of immunological tests like the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and molecular tests such as Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) for both humans and dogs. In this study, the Direct Fluorescent Antibody Test (DFAT) exhibited lower diagnostic performance, with an area under the curve for false positive rates (AUC<sub>FPR</sub> = 0.887). In contrast, ELISA (AUC<sub>FPR</sub> = 0.909) and RT-PCR (AUC<sub>FPR</sub> = 0.905) provided more consistent results. Notably, the Rapid Immunochromatographic Test (RIT) showed the best performance (AUC<sub>FPR</sub> = 0.949), highlighting its superior diagnostic capabilities compared to DFAT. <b>Conclusions:</b> These findings underscore the need to modernize rabies diagnostic protocols by incorporating advanced methodologies to improve diagnostic accuracy, reduce transmission, and decrease mortality rates. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-259f2dba1d2e4b5c801903aecad0bbf1 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2075-4418 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diagnostics |
| spelling | doaj-art-259f2dba1d2e4b5c801903aecad0bbf12025-08-20T02:44:35ZengMDPI AGDiagnostics2075-44182025-02-0115441210.3390/diagnostics15040412Evaluating Rabies Test Accuracy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human and Canine Diagnostic MethodsMayron Antonio Candia-Puma0Leydi Pola-Romero1Haruna Luz Barazorda-Ccahuana2Luis Daniel Goyzueta-Mamani3Alexsandro Sobreira Galdino4Ricardo Andrez Machado-de-Ávila5Rodolfo Cordeiro Giunchetti6Eduardo Antonio Ferraz Coelho7Miguel Angel Chávez-Fumagalli8Computational Biology and Chemistry Research Group, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa 04000, PeruComputational Biology and Chemistry Research Group, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa 04000, PeruComputational Biology and Chemistry Research Group, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa 04000, PeruComputational Biology and Chemistry Research Group, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa 04000, PeruLaboratório de Biotecnologia de Microrganismos, Universidade Federal São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis 35501-296, BrazilPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma 88806-000, BrazilLaboratório de Biologia das Interações Celulares, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, BrazilInfectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, BrazilComputational Biology and Chemistry Research Group, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa 04000, Peru<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Rabies is almost invariably fatal once clinical symptoms manifest. Timely and accurate diagnosis is essential for effective treatment and prevention. Dogs are the principal reservoirs of the virus, particularly in developing nations, highlighting the importance of precise diagnostic and control measures to prevent human cases. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the accuracy of laboratory tests for diagnosing rabies in humans and dogs. <b>Methods:</b> The PubMed database was searched for published studies on rabies diagnosis between 1990 and 2024. Following PRISMA statement recommendations, we included 60 studies that met the selection criteria. <b>Results:</b> The results demonstrated the effectiveness of immunological tests like the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and molecular tests such as Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) for both humans and dogs. In this study, the Direct Fluorescent Antibody Test (DFAT) exhibited lower diagnostic performance, with an area under the curve for false positive rates (AUC<sub>FPR</sub> = 0.887). In contrast, ELISA (AUC<sub>FPR</sub> = 0.909) and RT-PCR (AUC<sub>FPR</sub> = 0.905) provided more consistent results. Notably, the Rapid Immunochromatographic Test (RIT) showed the best performance (AUC<sub>FPR</sub> = 0.949), highlighting its superior diagnostic capabilities compared to DFAT. <b>Conclusions:</b> These findings underscore the need to modernize rabies diagnostic protocols by incorporating advanced methodologies to improve diagnostic accuracy, reduce transmission, and decrease mortality rates.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/4/412rabiesdiagnostic testsmeta-analysissystematic reviewsensitivityspecificity |
| spellingShingle | Mayron Antonio Candia-Puma Leydi Pola-Romero Haruna Luz Barazorda-Ccahuana Luis Daniel Goyzueta-Mamani Alexsandro Sobreira Galdino Ricardo Andrez Machado-de-Ávila Rodolfo Cordeiro Giunchetti Eduardo Antonio Ferraz Coelho Miguel Angel Chávez-Fumagalli Evaluating Rabies Test Accuracy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human and Canine Diagnostic Methods Diagnostics rabies diagnostic tests meta-analysis systematic review sensitivity specificity |
| title | Evaluating Rabies Test Accuracy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human and Canine Diagnostic Methods |
| title_full | Evaluating Rabies Test Accuracy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human and Canine Diagnostic Methods |
| title_fullStr | Evaluating Rabies Test Accuracy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human and Canine Diagnostic Methods |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluating Rabies Test Accuracy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human and Canine Diagnostic Methods |
| title_short | Evaluating Rabies Test Accuracy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human and Canine Diagnostic Methods |
| title_sort | evaluating rabies test accuracy a systematic review and meta analysis of human and canine diagnostic methods |
| topic | rabies diagnostic tests meta-analysis systematic review sensitivity specificity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/4/412 |
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