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.