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Rabies

Case definition

Confirmed case

Clinical illness with laboratory confirmation of infection:

  • detection of viral antigen in an appropriate clinical specimen, preferably the brain or the nerves surrounding hair follicles in the nape of the neck, by immunofluorescence OR
  • isolation of rabies virus from saliva, cerebrospinal fluid or central nervous system tissue using cell culture or laboratory animal OR
  • detection of rabies virus RNA by PCR in an appropriate clinical specimen

Probable case

Clinical illness with laboratory confirmation of infection: demonstration of rabies-neutralizing antibody titre greater than or equal to 5 (complete neutralization) in the serum or CSF of an unvaccinated person

Definition of clinical illness

Clinical illness is characterized by acute encephalomyelitis (headache, fever, hydrophobia, delirium, convulsions, paralysis) progressing to coma and death.


SOURCE: Rabies ( )
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