A Two-Step Lyssavirus Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Using Degenerate Primers with Superior Sensitivity to the Fluorescent Antigen Test

Table 1

FAT and RTCIT-negative samples from various species used for the evaluation of the specificity of the lyssavirus qRT-PCR.

Species	Matrix	Provider	𝑛	FAT/RTCIT	Generic lyssavirus; qRT-PCR
Bats (Pipistrellus, Myotis, and Eptesicus  serotinus)^1	Brain tissue	Rabies NRC, WIV-ISP, Belgium	100	Negative	Negative
Red Fox (Vulpes  vulpes)^1	Brain tissue	Rabies NRC, WIV-ISP, Belgium	10	Negative	Negative
Dog (Canis  Lupus  familiaris)^1	Brain tissue	Rabies NRC, WIV-ISP, Belgium	10	Negative	Negative
Cat (Felix  cati)^1	Brain tissue	Rabies NRC, WIV-ISP, Belgium	10	Negative	Negative
Mouse (Mus  Musculus)^2	Brain tissue	Rabies NRC, WIV-ISP, Belgium	20	Negative	Negative
Human (Homo  Sapiens)^3	Cerebrospinal fluid	Rabies NRC, WIV-ISP, Belgium	10	Negative	Negative
Human (Homo  Sapiens)^3	Saliva	Rabies NRC, WIV-ISP, Belgium	5	Negative	Negative
Human (Homo  Sapiens)^3	Skin tissue	Rabies NRC, WIV-ISP, Belgium	1	Negative	Negative

1Samples collected on the Belgian territory between 2007 and 2012 in the frame of the national surveillance system to guarantee the rabies-free status of Belgium.
²Specific-pathogen-free female Swiss outbred laboratory mice obtained from Harlan (Boxmeer, The Netherlands).
³Patients with encephalitis symptoms sent to the national reference centre for rabies virus, Belgium.