Rabies

Fact sheet - Health conditions directory

Rabies is a disease of the nervous system caused by the rabies virus. Rabies infects domestic and wild mammals, and is spread to people through close contact with infected saliva (usually from bites or scratches, but potentially from licks to the eyes or mouth). Rabies in humans is almost always fatal once symptoms develop. The World Health Organization estimates that about 60 000 people die from rabies each year.

Rabies virus is not found in animals in Australia or New Zealand, but there is the potential for the virus to be introduced into Australia from neighbouring countries through the illegal importation of unvaccinated animals. A close relative of the classical rabies virus, Australian bat lyssavirus, can be found in bats in Australia.

• Read Communicable Diseases Network Australia guidelines

Notification

Pathology laboratories

• Notification criteria for pathology laboratories (PDF, 55kB)
• Communications (notification procedure)

Notification resources

• List of all Pathological, clinical and provisional diagnosis notifiable conditions
• List of Public Health Unit contacts
• Notifiable conditions report form for Queensland doctors/clinicians (PHA S70) or person in charge of a Hosptial (PHA S71) (PDF, 77kB) - if faxing notification, follow up by phone.

Enhanced surveillance for public health units

• Case report form (potential exposures) (PDF, 338kB) - used by public health units to collect and manage more detailed information for enhanced case surveillance.

• Australian immunisation handbook - provides clinical guidelines for health professionals on the safest and most effective use of vaccines in their practice.