Observational studyEBioMedicine2026
Detection of rabies virus RNA in dog-bite wounds in a rabies-endemic area: evidence from an observational cohort study.
Observational study in EBioMedicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Rabies in Military Personnel: Epidemiology, Clinical Challenges, and Strategies for Prevention and Management.Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRabies causes over 59,000 human deaths each year, primarily in endemic regions where surveillance is challenging. We report a prospective observational cohort study evaluating rabies virus (RABV) RNA detection from wound swabs of individuals bitten by dogs as a tool to strengthen surveillance and assess human exposure.
methodsWe enrolled 100 individuals with unwashed, less than 24 hours-old, WHO-defined category III bite wounds at the Rabies Prevention Center, Indus Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. Swabs were collected from wounds before and after washing. Serum samples were obtained before and 14 days after initiation of the three-visit intradermal IPC post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) regimen. Demographic and clinical data were recorded. RABV RNA was detected using genotype-1 and pan-lyssavirus PCR assays; detection of RABV neutralising antibodies was evaluated by rabies fluorescent antibody virus neutralisation test (rFAVN). Primary outcome was RABV RNA detection; secondary outcomes included bite characteristics and virus-neutralising antibody (VNA) titres.
findingsAmong 100 participants (mean age 18.9 years; 82% male), bites occurred mainly on the lower limb (34%), head (21%) and arm (15%). RABV RNA was detected in 64% of swabs by genotype-1 and 44% by pan-lyssavirus PCR; from 40/64 positive samples the RABV-N gene was sequenced and used for downstream phylogenetic analysis. Wound washing slightly decreased RNA levels. At day 14, RABV neutralising antibodies were detected in 93.8% (75/80) of the individuals (mean titre 5.8 IU/mL).
interpretationWound swab-based RABV RNA detection is a feasible, scalable method for rabies surveillance and exposure assessment in endemic settings. Combined with serology, it informs both viral exposure and PEP efficacy, supporting broader application in high-volume clinical care.
fundingSupported by a VENI Grant (NWO-VENI 09150162010181, to CWEE) and Off Road grant (ZonMw 04510252520092, to CWEE).
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