Rabies-related inquiries, vaccine use and post-exposure treatment have risen sharply in the United States this summer as several states report outbreaks and mass-exposure events involving infected wildlife and domestic animals.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning that rabies exposures are increasing across the United States, with more people seeking guidance and treatment following encounters with potentially infected animals.
In a Sept. 10 alert, the CDC said rabies-related inquiries during July and August were 17% higher than during the same period in 2025.
Pharmacy data through Sept. 2 also showed substantial increases in the use of products used to prevent rabies after exposure. Use of the two available rabies vaccines rose 33% compared with a year earlier, while use of human rabies immune globulin increased 76%.
The increases come amid what the CDC described as “several high-profile rabies outbreaks and mass rabies exposure events.”
At least eight health departments have reported either increased use of rabies post-exposure treatment, mistakes in administering it or both.
Rabies is a viral infection transmitted through the saliva or nervous-system tissue of an infected animal, most often through bites but also potentially through scratches or other contact with infectious material.
Once symptoms develop, rabies is nearly always fatal. Treatment given before symptoms appear, however, is highly effective at preventing the disease.
Because symptoms can take weeks to emerge, the CDC emphasizes prompt evaluation following a possible exposure rather than waiting to see whether illness develops.
In the United States, bats are a major source of human rabies exposure, although foxes, raccoons and skunks can also carry the virus.
Recent incidents have involved several other animals.
In Maryland, rabid beavers attacked people at a state park. In North Carolina, baby goats from a mobile petting zoo tested positive for rabies in August, prompting public health officials to warn people who attended events during several weeks that they may have been exposed.
Early rabies symptoms can resemble those of other illnesses and may include fever. As the infection progresses, neurological symptoms such as anxiety, confusion and hallucinations can develop.
The CDC is also reminding healthcare providers how to properly administer rabies post-exposure prophylaxis.
Immediate wound care is the first step. Bite and scratch wounds should be thoroughly washed and gently irrigated with water or a diluted iodine solution.
For people who have not previously been vaccinated against rabies, treatment generally includes human rabies immune globulin followed by a series of four rabies vaccine doses administered over four medical visits.
The CDC warned that mistakes in post-exposure treatment are occurring.
Common errors include giving the rabies vaccine in an incorrect part of the body, combining immune globulin and vaccine in the same syringe and failing to provide immune globulin to someone who requires it.
Human rabies immune globulin and the vaccine should not be administered in the same syringe or at the same anatomical site.
People who have previously completed rabies vaccination do not receive immune globulin following an exposure. Those receiving rabies vaccine as pre-exposure protection also should not receive immune globulin as part of that vaccination process.
The CDC said there is currently no shortage of rabies vaccines or human rabies immune globulin.
Proper use remains important, however, because unnecessary or incorrectly administered treatment can increase healthcare costs and expose patients to avoidable side effects.
A course of human rabies immune globulin alone can cost as much as $14,000, according to the CDC.
Public-health officials are urging people to reduce their exposure risk by avoiding wild animals, even when an animal appears injured or in need of assistance.
People should never approach wildlife that appears sick, behaves unusually or is found dead.
Pets should remain current on rabies vaccinations and should be prevented from interacting with wild animals whenever possible.
If a person or pet is bitten, scratched or otherwise exposed to a potentially rabid animal, the CDC recommends immediately washing any wounds thoroughly with soap and water and contacting a healthcare professional or public-health authority for an assessment.
When it can be done without risking another exposure, officials may advise safely containing the animal so animal control or a local health department can determine whether rabies testing is necessary.
The CDC’s latest alert does not indicate a nationwide shortage of treatment but reflects concern that more people are encountering potentially rabid animals and that errors are occurring as demand for post-exposure care rises.
With rabies almost universally fatal after symptoms begin, the agency’s message is straightforward: avoid contact with wildlife, keep pets vaccinated and seek medical guidance quickly after any possible exposure.
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