Final answer:
A rabies infection can be confirmed through a post-mortem examination of the animal's brain tissue.
Step-by-step explanation:
Diagnostic tests like immunofluorescent staining and RT-PCR are used to detect rabies virus in cutaneous nerves, saliva, or blood samples.
A rabies infection can only be confirmed through a post-mortem examination of the animal's brain tissue. Before present-day diagnostic methods were available, rabies diagnosis was made using a clinical case history and histopathological examination of biopsy or autopsy tissues.
However, these histologic changes cannot be used to confirm a rabies diagnosis. Currently, tests like immunofluorescent staining and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) are used to detect rabies virus in cutaneous nerves, saliva, or blood samples.