The sole detection of amplified RT-PCR products by gel-based systems however, especially when using hemi-nested RT-PCRs generates the risk of cross-contamination, does not allow an exact quantification of genome copies and does not include tests for specificity [25] . Hybridisation methods [26] and PCR-ELISA methods were established to overcome these difficulties [27] , although these techniques have not become universally accepted. Additionally, many laboratories now use partial sequencing to confirm the detection of a lyssavirus and obtain data that can be used in a phylogenetic analysis of viruses circulating in a specific region. The importance of sequencing the PCR products was highlighted in an experimental study [28] . This study demonstrated that although the nested RT-PCR was shown to be the most sensitive of the diagnostic techniques employed, host genomic amplicons of the same size as the target amplicons were observed on the agarose gels, which were subsequently confirmed as false positives following direct sequencing [28] .