Common questions about rabies diagnosis and prevention
Rabies remains one of the world’s deadliest zoonotic diseases, yet it is also one of the most preventable. Understanding more about the virus is key to prevention.
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Rabies remains one of the world’s deadliest zoonotic diseases, yet it is also one of the most preventable. Although rabies has been the focus of large-scale public health interventions, particularly vaccination programs, it continues to claim an estimated 40,000 to 70,000 human lives each year worldwide, with approximately 40% of deaths occurring in children. Fewer than 10 human rabies cases are reported in the U.S. annually and Colorado hasn’t seen a human case since 1931. Most fatalities occur in resource-limited regions where access to timely diagnosis, disease reporting, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and animal vaccination remains challenging.
Understanding more about the virus is key to prevention. Below are answers to common questions about rabies.
Definitive diagnosis of rabies in a live animal is difficult. The virus travels through nerves and concentrates in the central nervous system, making it challenging to reliably detect the virus in samples collected from living animals. As a result, the gold standard for rabies diagnosis requires examination of brain tissue after death.
The most widely accepted test for rabies diagnosis is the direct fluorescent antibody test (DFA), which detects rabies virus antigen in brain tissue. Additional molecular tools, including PCR-based assays, can detect rabies’ viral RNA and are primarily used to support surveillance and epidemiologic investigations. These methods help veterinarians, physicians, and public health officials to rapidly assess potential exposures and monitor rabies activity in domestic animals and wildlife populations.
Because rabies has important implications for both human and animal health, testing is prioritized by public health and diagnostic laboratories; cases are triaged to ensure those most at risk are tested first. Once samples arrive at a diagnostic lab, like CSU’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, results are often available within 24-72 hours, allowing timely decisions regarding post-exposure prophylaxis and animal management.
Rabies testing plays a critical role in protecting both animals and people. Accurate diagnosis helps determine whether exposed individuals need post-exposure prophylaxis, guides management of exposed animals, and supports public health surveillance programs.
Exposure is most commonly direct contact with bodily fluids from an infected animal, but not always. Exposure routes can be complex and require careful evaluation by public health partners to determine the appropriate course of action.
For people who have been exposed to a potentially rabid animal, prompt evaluation by public health authorities and medical professionals is important to prevent rabies infection. Together with vaccination, diagnostic testing helps prevent human cases and identify areas where additional prevention efforts may be needed.
The most effective way to prevent rabies is through vaccination. Routine vaccination of dogs, cats, and other susceptible domestic animals not only protects individual animals but also serves as a critical barrier that prevents transmission to people. Vaccination campaigns have dramatically reduced rabies in many parts of the Americas and remain the cornerstone of global rabies control efforts. Because rabies is almost always fatal once clinical signs appear, prevention through vaccination remains our most powerful tool.
Continued progress requires collaboration among veterinarians, physicians, public health professionals, wildlife biologists, researchers, and diagnostic laboratories. One important example of this collaborative approach is the Rabies in the Americas (RITA) meeting, an annual conference that has brought together rabies experts since 1990. Hosted across countries and throughout the Americas, RITA provides a unique forum for sharing advances in rabies surveillance, diagnostics, prevention, vaccination, and control. The meeting connects researchers, public health officials, laboratory personnel, wildlife specialists, and program leaders from more than 20 countries, fostering the partnerships needed to address emerging challenges and advance rabies elimination efforts.
Rabies is deadly but also preventable. Through responsible pet vaccination, timely diagnostic testing, prompt medical care following exposures, and strong international collaboration, we can continue to reduce the burden of rabies and move closer to a future where no one dies from this preventable disease.
Six steps to prevent rabies
R: Recognize potential exposures
A: Avoid contact with wild animals
B: Boost and maintain vaccinations
I: Investigate suspicious cases promptly
E: Evaluate exposures quickly
S: Seek testing and medical care when needed