Investigators and Program Directors

Program Description and Research Interests

Viruses cause some of the most prevalent, debilitating and lethal human infections, and are among the most important threats to the public health. These viruses may be maintained by transmission from human to human or, by transmission within animal populations that serve as reservoirs for human infections (zoonotic diseases). The Laboratory of Zoonotic Disease and Clinical Virology (ZDCV) contributes in many ways to the detection of viruses of public health significance in human clinical or animal samples. Our programs provide primary diagnostic services, reference laboratory functions, proficiency testing of other laboratories, surveillance, and conduct research on the epidemiology, epizootiology, and pathogenesis of a broad collection of viral pathogens including, rabies, influenza, West Nile, and HIV.

My investigative interests have been mainly related to the development and improvement of rabies diagnostic methods and the study of the epizootiology of rabies, with a focus on the prevalence and distribution of rabies in bats. The postmortem diagnosis of rabies in animals is a critical public health diagnostic service. It must be performed using exquisitely sensitive, extremely specific and very rapid diagnostic procedures -- the results of examinations of brain tissue of rabies suspect animals that have bitten humans are commonly used by physicians to determine the need for rabies prophylactic treatment (postexposure rabies shots). Thus false negative or delayed results may lead directly to human infection with a nearly always fatal outcome.

In an effort to optimize detection methods we have developed and continue to refine monoclonal antibody-based reagents and standardized methods for the rapid microscopic examination of tissues for rabies virus antigens by the immunofluorescent antibody method. We have replaced in vivo virus isolation (mouse inoculation) with an in vitro method for use as a confirmatory procedure. We employ antigenic and genetic methods to identify and characterize viral variants associated with animal and human cases for the study of the epizootiology of rabies in New York State.

The epizootiology of rabies in bats in New York State is being studied by analysis of the data generated by examination of more than 4,000 bats that are received annually from all over New York State. We are active participants in the evaluation of the efficacy of wildlife rabies vaccination programs using baits containing recombinant rabies vaccine in New York and surrounding states, providing laboratory support in the form of serologic assays for rabies antibody in raccoon sera, as well as conducting enhanced surveillance for rabies prevalence in raccoons in baited and control areas.

Contact Information

Mailing address:
Griffin Laboratory
5668 State Farm Road
Slingerlands, NY 12159
Phone: 518-869-4550
Fax: 518-869-6487
E-mail: cvt02@health.state.ny.us