RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>McAbs against rabies nucleocapsid were used to detect rabies street viruses in animal brain specimens with indirect immunofluorescent assay to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of this assay.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>62 specimen from rabid animal brains including genotype 1 to 7 and 271 specimens from different normal animal brains collected in Pasteur Institute in 2003 were tested and compared, using indirect immunofluorescent assay. All these specimens were identified and compared using rapid rabies enzyme immunodiagnosis, fluorescent antibody test and rabies virus isolation assay in neuroblastoma cell culture which were all provided by Pasteur Institute.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Both sensitivity and the specificity of the indirect immunofluorescent assay were 100%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results showed a positive of rabies virus detection with these methods.</p>