DEVELOPMENT OF LATEX AGGLUTINATION TEST FOR DIAGNOSIS OF ANIMAL RABIES
In the given paper potential opportunity of using latex agglutination test on the basis of carboxylated polystyrene microspheres, coated by antibodies to rabies virus ribonucleoprotein, for rapid diagnosis of rabies in animals using brain tissue suspensions is demonstrated. Diagnosticum prepared on the basis of latex batch No 389 (microspheres with a particle diameter of 0,81 µm, with COOH-groups in a superlayer in the amount of 2,39 µg-equiv/m<sup>2</sup>) using sensitizing antibody concentration of 0,5 mg/ml showed the highest activity. It was established that tested samples should be heated at 56<sup>0</sup>C during 30 minutes to obtain better results using the developed method. The performed experiments showed that the diagnostic sensitivity and specifcity of the preparations based on carboxylated latexes were 100% and 95,83%, respectively.