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Rabies, Human
1997 Case Definition
The 1997 case definition appearing on this page was previously published in the 1990 MMWR Recommendations
and Reports titled Case Definitions for Public Health Surveillance [MMWR 1990;39(RR13)]
(available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00025629.htm).
Thus, the 1990 and 1997 versions of the case definition are identical.
Clinical description
Rabies is an acute encephalomyelitis that almost
always progresses to coma or death within 10 days after the first
symptom.
Laboratory criteria for diagnosis
- Detection by direct fluorescent antibody of
viral antigens in a clinical specimen (preferably the brain
or the nerves surrounding hair follicles in the nape of the
neck), or
- Isolation (in cell culture or in a laboratory
animal) of rabies virus from saliva, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF),
or central nervous system tissue, or
- Identification of a rabies-neutralizing antibody
titer greater than or equal to 5 (complete neutralization)
in the serum or CSF of an unvaccinated person.
Case classification
Confirmed: a clinically
compatible case that is laboratory confirmed
Comment
Laboratory confirmation by all of the above methods
is strongly recommended.
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