Innovation and ethics: animal experimentation in rabies diagnosis

Abstract

Interdisciplinary approaches are emphasized in health communities, addressing the (re)emergence of various
infectious diseases stemming from the human-animal-environment interface. An example is rabies, a serious zoonotic disease considered endemic in Brazil and globally neglected. Both epidemiological surveillance and confirmation of this disease rely on laboratory diagnosis, typically involving intracerebral inoculation of the suspected sample into mice, despite the availability of alternatives such as validated molecular techniques, recognized by the World Health Organization. This paper discusses the ethical implications of (not) adopting these methods, assuming that all animals should be respected and understood as unique individuals in their
perception of the world rather than research subjects. This corroborates the need for new perspectives that redefine relationships between humans and non-human animals, which is key to introducing systemic, ethical-political changes aimed at ending animal instrumentalization, including within scientific contexts.