Utilization of antibodies from experimental animals immunized with rabies vaccines for the development of in-house rabies ELISA kits: A preliminary study

Rabies is a fatal zoonotic disease requiring prevention through early detection, such as via the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). This study aimed to develop a homemade sandwich ELISA using antibodies against rabies vaccines. Local chicken anti-rabies antibodies served as the capture antibody, local rabbit anti-rabies as the secondary antibody, and goat anti-IgY conjugated with horseradish peroxidase as the detector. The assay was tested on commercial rabies vaccines—Defensor® 3, Nobivac, Rabisin, and a mixture of the three—as substitutes for natural rabies antigens. Results demonstrated that the assay could detect these vaccines with positive reactivity compared to a BSA negative control. Nobivac yielded the highest titer, followed by the vaccine mixture, Defensor, and Rabisin. Further validation is required to assess the assay's specificity and sensitivity, particularly in comparison to natural antigens and commercial ELISA kits.