GARC Holds Rabies Diagnostic Laboratory Training in the Philippines

In an effort to strengthen the rabies laboratory capacity of its program partners at its Asian project sites, GARC, in coordination with the Rabies Research Program of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RRG-RITM), conducted a Rabies Diagnostic Laboratory Training held at the RITM Training Center in Muntinlupa City, Philippines last 08-12 April 2013.   

The week-long training was well-attended by representatives from GARC’s project partners in Metro Manila and the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Sorsogon, and Bohol. Representatives from the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RADDL) of Regions 1, 5, and 8, and two veterinarians from Indonesia also attended the event. Also present were GARC’s Research Director, Dr. Charles Rupprecht and GARC Asia Director, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Miranda.   

Dr. Beatriz Quiambao and Dr. Fidelino Malbas, Jr. from the RITM gave background presentations on the epidemiology of rabies in animals and humans and the National Anti-Rabies Law of the Philippines, respectively. Dr. Miranda spoke about GARC’s Communities Against Rabies Exposure (CARE) Project, rabies elimination strategies, and the role of Animal Diagnostic Laboratories.  Dr. Rupprecht discussed the Direct Rapid Immunohistochemical Test (DRIT) for Rabies. This test is an alternative novel method for the detection of rabies virus antigen without an expensive fluorescent microscope.

Demonstrations on laboratory procedures enabled participants to try their hands at preparing reagents, performing necropsy, processing brain samples and microscopy.  A test was done after the hands-on sessions. The participants were also provided with starter kits at the end of the training to facilitate the setting up of DRIT in their respective laboratories.        

Following this activity, the RRG-RITM and GARC will conduct a post-training follow-up on the laboratories to ensure that the DRIT method is properly set up and effectively utilized. 

Submitted by Dane Medina, Communications Officer for the GARC Asia office in the Philippines.