Direct fluorescent antibody

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Direct fluorescent antibody (DFA or dFA) is a laboratory test that uses antibodies tagged with fluorescent dye to detect the presence of microorganisms. This method offers straight-forward detection of antigens using fluorescently labeled antigen-specific antibodies. Because detection of the antigen in a substrate of patient sample (cellular smear, fluid or patient- inoculated culture medium) is the goal, DFA is seldom quantitative.

This is the main test used to detect rabies in animals and requires the examination of brain tissue.