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Australian national notifiable diseases case definitions

Lyssavirus (unspecified) case definition

This document contains the case definitions for lyssavirus - unspecified which is nationally notifiable within Australia. This definition should be used to determine whether a case should be notified.

Australian national notifiable diseases case definitions - Lyssavirus - unspecified

Reporting

Only confirmed cases should be notified AND only where there is insufficient evidence to meet a case definition for Australian bat lyssavirus or rabies.

Confirmed case

A confirmed case requires laboratory definitive evidence AND clinical evidence.

Laboratory definitive evidence

1. Positive fluorescent antibody test result for lyssaviral antigen on fresh brain smears

OR

2. Specific immunostaining for lyssaviral antigen on formalin fixed paraffin sections of central nervous system tissue

OR

3. Presence of antibody to serotype 1 lyssavirus in the cerebrospinal fluid

OR

4. Detection of lyssavirus-specific RNA (other than to ABL or rabies).

Clinical evidence

Acute encephalomyelitis with or without altered sensorium or focal neurological signs.