Rabies Laboratory
Rabies Testing | Specimen Shipping & Packing | Diagnosis in Animals | Rabies in Texas | Reports & Links
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Important Notice
Due to biohazard safety guidelines, the laboratory is unable to return carcasses submitted for rabies testing to owners or submitters.
Sign up to Receive Rabies Test Results Rapidly
All finalized rabies test reports (positive, non-negative, or negative) are now available through the Laboratory Services Section (LSS) via fax or through the LSS Results-Web Portal.
The LSS will contact you via telephone to report all positive and non-negative test results.
To obtain access to remote data systems results please click on the link: /lab/remotedata.shtm
To obtain reports by fax, use the Submitter ID # Request Form found on the laboratory forms page and follow the instructions to update your preference for test report delivery.
If you have questions regarding reporting, contact Tiffunee Odoms at 512-776-6275. For all Rabies concerns including Rabies shipping, testing requirements, and result interpretation, please contact the Rabies Identification Team at 512-776-7595.
About Us
The rabies laboratory at the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) Laboratory Services Section in Austin is the primary rabies diagnostic laboratory in the State of Texas; it serves as a rabies reference laboratory for other laboratories in Texas, as well as for adjacent states in the US and Mexico. Information is exchanged/shared via email with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other experts in the field. The laboratory coordinates closely with the Zoonosis Control Branch, and all non-negative results are transmitted to the Public Health Regions, via phone or email, after the results are completed.
The laboratory receives between 8,000 and 10,000 animal specimens annually for rabies testing. Routine testing is done by direct fluorescent antibody staining. In addition to diagnostic testing, the laboratory types all positive specimens by either monoclonal antibody staining, restriction digest typing, or nucleotide sequencing to determine the variant of rabies virus present in the animal. Typing information is used to follow the spread of rabies through animals and across the state. This information has proven to be extremely useful in defining the vaccine drop zone for the Oral Rabies Vaccination Program (ORVP) of wild animals to combat rabies epizootics in coyotes in south Texas and foxes in west Texas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Reports
Human rabies cases in the US 1950 - Present
(PDF file, 21k, viewing information)
Human cases attributed to bat rabies variants in the US
(From the DSHS Zoonosis Control Group)
Rabies Trends in Texas - Incidence 1953 to 2008
View Images:
- Positive Animals 1953 - 2008
- Coyotes 1953 - 2008
- Dogs 1953 - 2008
- Foxes 1953 - 2008
- Raccoons 1953 - 2008
- Skunks 1953 - 2008
- Cats 1953 - 2008
- Bats 1953 - 2008
Rabies in Texas
Rabies in Texas - 1953 to 2008
Year | Skunk | Fox | Bat | Raccoon | Dog | Cat | Coyote | Other | Totals |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
53 | 45 | 152 | 0 | 0 | 999 | 68 | 0 | 70 | 1334 |
54 | 71 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 838 | 55 | 0 | 57 | 1121 |
55 | 59 | 79 | 0 | 0 | 458 | 20 | 0 | 35 | 651 |
56 | 72 | 138 | 0 | 0 | 430 | 30 | 0 | 59 | 729 |
57 | 27 | 133 | 4 | 0 | 286 | 30 | 0 | 54 | 534 |
58 | 45 | 106 | 40 | 3 | 243 | 21 | 0 | 33 | 491 |
59 | 145 | 175 | 23 | 1 | 138 | 37 | 0 | 48 | 567 |
60 | 164 | 128 | 19 | 1 | 153 | 41 | 0 | 55 | 561 |
61 | 342 | 30 | 45 | 1 | 134 | 42 | 1 | 63 | 658 |
62 | 258 | 39 | 31 | 3 | 93 | 27 | 1 | 78 | 530 |
63 | 235 | 66 | 22 | 7 | 106 | 28 | 2 | 58 | 524 |
64 | 159 | 28 | 19 | 4 | 69 | 31 | 0 | 38 | 348 |
65 | 162 | 25 | 25 | 5 | 88 | 25 | 0 | 60 | 390 |
66 | 176 | 27 | 34 | 3 | 94 | 41 | 2 | 59 | 436 |
67 | 152 | 27 | 44 | 6 | 86 | 32 | 3 | 35 | 385 |
68 | 111 | 25 | 13 | 6 | 54 | 14 | 0 | 35 | 258 |
69 | 104 | 35 | 42 | 6 | 67 | 30 | 0 | 36 | 320 |
70 | 109 | 20 | 23 | 2 | 18 | 14 | 1 | 35 | 222 |
71 | 186 | 26 | 35 | 1 | 17 | 20 | 0 | 32 | 317 |
72 | 188 | 21 | 56 | 3 | 14 | 13 | 1 | 38 | 334 |
73 | 139 | 31 | 21 | 4 | 7 | 17 | 2 | 43 | 264 |
74 | 132 | 35 | 63 | 10 | 89 | 9 | 0 | 45 | 383 |
75 | 177 | 13 | 67 | 1 | 24 | 20 | 0 | 23 | 325 |
76 | 201 | 8 | 59 | 5 | 28 | 12 | 1 | 15 | 329 |
77 | 254 | 4 | 46 | 0 | 45 | 13 | 0 | 20 | 382 |
78 | 447 | 6 | 46 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 1 | 27 | 556 |
79 | 857 | 28 | 118 | 8 | 82 | 48 | 2 | 52 | 1195 |
80 | 643 | 46 | 95 | 8 | 46 | 34 | 4 | 69 | 945 |
81 | 515 | 25 | 79 | 5 | 12 | 22 | 0 | 40 | 698 |
82 | 536 | 13 | 123 | 4 | 21 | 42 | 2 | 55 | 796 |
83 | 522 | 16 | 89 | 2 | 13 | 27 | 0 | 55 | 724 |
84 | 526 | 6 | 118 | 2 | 9 | 19 | 0 | 39 | 719 |
85 | 404 | 4 | 100 | 3 | 27 | 22 | 0 | 29 | 589 |
86 | 275 | 11 | 132 | 1 | 14 | 13 | 2 | 22 | 470 |
87 | 278 | 15 | 66 | 3 | 29 | 19 | 0 | 22 | 432 |
88 | 266 | 20 | 57 | 4 | 21 | 30 | 6 | 30 | 434 |
89 | 231 | 12 | 72 | 6 | 43 | 12 | 7 | 23 | 406 |
90 | 117 | 24 | 50 | 2 | 40 | 13 | 3 | 19 | 268 |
91 | 209 | 37 | 59 | 13 | 36 | 17 | 46 | 30 | 447 |
92 | 182 | 33 | 69 | 7 | 56 | 16 | 70 | 38 | 471 |
93 | 151 | 42 | 150 | 20 | 54 | 21 | 71 | 24 | 533 |
94 | 78 | 144 | 94 | 68 | 53 | 27 | 77 | 49 | 590 |
95 | 69 | 137 | 123 | 41 | 55 | 25 | 80 | 60 | 590 |
96 | 78 | 60 | 120 | 25 | 15 | 10 | 19 | 24 | 351 |
97 | 94 | 13 | 121 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 266 |
98 | 116 | 21 | 104 | 5 | 15 | 8 | 6 | 28 | 303 |
99 | 192 | 56 | 90 | 4 | 13 | 21 | 2 | 22 | 400 |
00 | 550 | 41 | 164 | 9 | 19 | 17 | 2 | 28 | 830 |
01 | 778 | 15 | 194 | 9 | 16 | 13 | 0 | 18 | 1043 |
02 | 740 | 48 | 167 | 12 | 15 | 24 | 1 | 42 | 1049 |
03 | 625 | 28 | 166 | 11 | 19 | 22 | 3 | 34 | 908 |
04 | 534 | 16 | 269 | 12 | 19 | 22 | 0 | 38 | 910 |
05 | 392 | 23 | 257 | 27 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 22 | 741 |
06 | 351 | 31 | 432 | 19 | 13 | 10 | 1 | 32 | 889 |
07 | 362 | 32 | 482 | 17 | 12 | 14 | 21 | 29 | 969 |
08 | 391 | 14 | 548 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 6 | 14 | 1019 |
Totals | 15222 | 2488 | 5485 | 443 | 5388 | 1304 | 453 | 2151 | 32934 |
Links
Note: External links to other sites are intended to be informational and do not have the endorsement of the Texas Department of State Health Services. These sites may also not be accessible to people with disabilities.
For rabies results in Texas by county (from DSHS Zoonosis Control Group)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Rabies Site
World Health Organization Rabnet
Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine - Rabies Lab