A Case of Human Rabies in Kansas: Epidemiologic, Clinical, and Laboratory Considerations

A 14-year-old male resident of Elk City, Kansas died of rabies on October 19, 1968, after a 64day illness. The disease was acquired in a rural community that possesses ecologic opportunities for spread of rabies-a large number of unimmunized, free-running dogs and cats, the presence of rabies in skunks in the area, and a high degree of interaction among humans, sylvatic animals and domestic animals. The prolonged survival of the patient was thought to be a result of the intensive respiratory care he received. This type of care has not heretofore been given to patients with rabies, and it is suggested that such care may allow some rabies victims to survive. The length of the illness and the extensive antibody response to the rabies virus may have interfered with traditional diagnostic tests performed on brain tissue, and they place increased emphasis on serologic techniques in the confirmation of the diagnosis of this disease.