Diagnostic finding of rabies?

Appeared in: HPSSSB Staff Nurse - 2016

Explanation

Negri bodies are the pathognomonic (specific diagnostic) finding for rabies infection.
They are eosinophilic (stain pink with eosin dye), round-to-oval shaped inclusions found within the cytoplasm of nerve cells.
These bodies are most frequently located in the pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus and the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum.
Their presence confirms a diagnosis of rabies, although they may not be found in all cases.

Option A: Guarneri bodies are associated with poxvirus infections, such as smallpox or vaccinia, not rabies. They are also found in the cytoplasm.
Option C: Cowdry A bodies are intranuclear (found in the nucleus) inclusions. They are characteristic of infections with Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) and Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV).
Option D: Cowdry B bodies are also intranuclear inclusions, but they are typically associated with poliovirus and adenovirus infections.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Viral inclusion bodies in diagnosis as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Rabies is nearly 100% fatal once clinical symptoms appear, making rapid diagnosis and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) a critical life-saving intervention.
Nurses play a key role in administering PEP, which includes immediate and thorough wound washing, infiltration of rabies immune globulin (RIG) into and around the wound, and a series of rabies vaccine injections.
What if? If a patient is bitten by a healthy domestic dog, cat, or ferret, the protocol allows for a 10-day observation of the animal. However, if the animal is a stray or wild animal, or if it develops signs of rabies, PEP must be initiated immediately without waiting.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question testing knowledge of classic pathological findings.
Identify the key disease in the question stem: 'rabies'.
Scan the options for the specific pathological finding historically and diagnostically associated with rabies.
Recall or deduce that 'Negri bodies' are the classic inclusion bodies for rabies.
Mentally differentiate this from other named inclusion bodies: Guarnieri (poxvirus), Cowdry A (herpesvirus), and Cowdry B (poliovirus), noting their different viral associations and locations (cytoplasmic vs. nuclear).

Concept Tested & Keywords

Q6uAJs7K_lAcy9t4AC010M

E6 Pathology- ROBBINS & COTRAN PATHOLOGIC BASIS OF DISEASE 10TH Ed p. 1264-1266

E6 Medicine Harrison 22e Part 1 p. 1694-1696

Practise the full HPSSSB Staff Nurse - 2016

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.