Rabies testing

What we do

The State Lab at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has a vital role in tracking rabies statewide by providing rapid test analysis of animals suspected of carrying the virus. Trained Serology Laboratory employees remove the brains from submitted animal heads to test brain material for the rabies virus. 

Rabies testing update 

Sept. 13, 2024

The rabies laboratory at the Colorado State Public Health Lab will start accepting rabies specimens on Sept. 16, 2024. Rabies samples no longer need to be routed to CSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

We will do our best to work with CSU to retrieve any samples meant to be tested at the CSPHL, but we will not be responsible for payment for rabies testing that is accidentally submitted to CSU after Sept. 27, 2024.

Review the rabies submission information below. The following information can also be found in the rabies specimen submission policy.

Fee-waived testing

Specimens that are eligible for fee-waived rabies testing at CSPHL include:

1. Wild carnivores (skunk, raccoon, fox, coyote, etc.) or bats with suspected or confirmed contact with a human, domestic pet, or livestock animal.
2. Wild carnivore species exhibiting neurological symptoms or strange behavior consistent with rabies (e.g., out in mid-day, no fear of natural enemies, aggression, inability to walk) in areas where skunk variant rabies has not yet been identified (primarily mountain and Western Slope counties).

Fee-waived specimens do not need pre-approval from CDPHE, but we recommend consulting with your local public health agency to ensure testing is warranted. For specimens that do not follow the above criteria, prior approval from CDPHE (303-692-2700) is required to waive the testing fee. Submitters with animals that do not meet the criteria will be charged a fee for service ($65).

Test submission

All rabies test orders must be submitted through LabOnline. If you need to update your LabOnline account (e.g., new email address, new facility name, etc.), use the customer update request form. If you experience problems using LabOnline, contact the lab coordinators at cdphe_labcoordinators@state.co.us or 303-692-3069.

Exposure information should be added to the special instructions field of the LabOnline test order.

Sample preparation

Only people with proper training, adequate personal protective equipment, and preferably, pre-exposure rabies prophylaxis should remove heads and brains from rabies suspects. This is to prevent exposure to rabies virus during specimen preparation.

For bats only, send the entire carcass. For skunks, raccoons, and similarly sized animals, decapitate the animal and send the head only. Refrigerate the specimens immediately and hold them at 35-40℉ until shipped. Properly refrigerated specimens can be held for several days (i.e., over the weekend or holiday) and still result in an accurate test. However, holding for longer periods of time will often result in poor specimen quality. Do not freeze or place the specimen in a preservative such as formalin. The CSPHL cannot return specimens to the owner or submitter as they must be disposed of as biological waste.

Packaging

Rabies packaging instructions

All specimens must be double-bagged and labeled on the outside of the outer bag individually with the LabOnline chain of custody number. This number is found under the barcode on the test order document. Do not place the paperwork in the specimen bag. The double-bagged specimen should be placed in an insulated, waterproof container with cold packs. Use enough cold packs to keep the specimen cold for 48 hours. Use additional cold packs when transporting the specimen on warm days. Do not use dry or wet ice. Place this container in an outer hard-sided shipping container. Place a printed copy of the LabOnline test order form inside of the outer harder-sided shipping container.

Multiple specimens can be shipped together in the same outer hard-sided container, but each specimen must be bagged and labeled separately with its own individual test request number. Include a printed copy of the LabOnline test order for each specimen.

The outside of the container must clearly be labeled with the following information:

CDPHE
Rabies Lab (#XXXXXX) - this is the LabOnline chain of custody number(s)
8100 Lowry Blvd
Denver, CO 80230

Transporting

CSPHL offers a courier service that primarily picks up human specimens, but accommodations for animal specimens that are part of a public health investigation can be made. Request a courier using the courier request form. Contact the courier dispatch team at cdphe_courier@state.co.us.

For situations where no public health issue exists (e.g., domestic animal testing, submitting rodents or lagomorphs without approval, veterinary diagnostic rule-out when rabies is unlikely, etc.), submitters can pay for overnight shipment to CSPHL using commercial ground services like UPS or FedEx, or can drop off specimens at the lab at the sample receiving door located on the south side of the building. The door is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Samples will not be accepted outside of these hours. Samples must be given to a lab staff member. Do not leave samples unattended in the vestibule or outside of the building.

Consultation

For consultation on situations not listed above, submission assistance, testing, bite follow-up, and rabies pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis, contact the local public health agency or the CDPHE Communicable Disease Branch at 303-692-2700 during business hours or 303-370-9395 for after-hours, weekend, and holiday emergencies. Emergency testing requires special arrangements.

If you have any questions regarding the testing submission process, contact the lab coordination team by emailing cdphe_labcoordinators@state.co.us or by calling 303-692-3069.

Thank you for your patience while the rabies lab at the CSPHL was undergoing construction. 

Additional resources

• Rabies Specimen Submission Policy
• Rabies information from the CDC 
• Read more about rabies