218 Mshelbwala et al _________________________________________________________ Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences http://www.jebas.org KEYWORDS Calf Rabies Rapid Immune- chromatographic Test Nigeria ABSTRACT Rabies though endemic in Nigeria, it is under reported this has contributed to claim by World Health organization (WHO) that there is no rabies in Nigeria, yet humans and animals are dying of rabies. On 26 th March, 2013 a herdsman brought a complain to Ambulatory unit of The Ahmadu Bello University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria of his six month old calf which was suspected to have been bitten by a dog three months ago showing nervous signs and anorexia. The calf showed the following signs during field observation, bellowing, hyper salivation, straining. Congested ocular mucous membrane and engorged jugular vein were also observed. Calf died while on transit to the Hospital, brain tissue was collected for confirmatory diagnosis, it was highly congested showing sign of encephalitis. The brain was found positive when it was tested with Rapid immunochromatographic test using 10% homogenate of the brain stem. A portion of the brain was sent to National Veterinary Research Laboratory Vom, Plateau state, Nigeria, for Confirmatory Diagnosis using Fluorescent antibody test (FAT) which also gave positive result for rabies. However the saliva was negative using Rapid immunograchramatographic test. The implication of the above finding conclude that cattle rabies is in abundance and can be transmitted to other animals, though cattle are dead end host, but exposure to humans, via aerosol, contact with saliva during slaughtering is possible. Mshelbwala PP 1 *, Audu SW 1 , Ogunkoya AB 1 , Okaiyeto SO 2 , James AA 2 , Kumbish PR 3 , Abdullahi SU 1 , Ibrahim S 1 and Abubakar UB 1 1 Department of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. 2 Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. 3 Central Diagnostic Laboratory, National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Nigeria. Received: July 12, 2013; Revision: August 03, 2013; Accepted: September 15, 2013 Available Online: September 20, 2013. A CASE STUDY OF RABIES IN A SIX MONTH OLD CALF IN ZARIA, NIGERIA E-mail: philbwala@yahoo.com (Mshelbwala PP) Peer review under responsibility of Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences. * Corresponding author Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences, September - 2013; Volume – 1(4) Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences http://www.jebas.org ISSN No. 2320 – 8694 Production and Hosting by Horizon Publisher (www.my-vision.webs.com/horizon.html). All rights reserved.