Rabies is a virus that can infect any mammal and cause deadly neurological disease. Human rabies cases are extremely rare in the United States, thanks largely to a long history of pet vaccination, animal-control programs, surveillance, and treatment that can prevent the disease if given promptly after an exposure.
But rabies remains a public-health concern. In September, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned of an unusual increase in reports of people exposed to rabid or potentially rabid animals.
From July through August, the CDC received 17% more rabies-related inquiries than during the same period in 2025. The agency also reported increased use of rabies post-exposure preventative treatment in at least eight states. Use of rabies vaccines increased 33%, while use of rabies immunoglobulin—a treatment given after some potential exposures—increased 76%.
Most years, about 1.4 million people in the U.S. seek medical care and undergo rabies risk assessment after contact with an animal, with approximately 100,000 people receiving post-exposure rabies treatment. Worldwide, rabies kills tens of thousands of people each year—about half of them children—most often after contact with infected dogs.
The CDC advisory implies that this year there have been more animal encounters resulting in clinicians recommending that people get post-exposure treatment.
Meera Gatlin, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, Assistant Teaching Professor of Public Health, Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health
"That caution makes sense, because rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms begin,” said Gatlin. “However, it does not necessarily mean we’re seeing more actual human rabies cases nationwide.”
Fortunately, “rabies is preventable,” said Gatlin. She discusses how to protect the whole family below.
Rabies is usually spread when saliva from an infected animal enters the body through a bite, scratch, or contact with the eyes, mouth, or an open wound.
Globally, dogs are the most common species for transmitting rabies. However, the United States has eradicated the dog-mediated variant of the virus through pet vaccination and other efforts to control the stray dog population.
Dogs, people, and other animals still can get rabies in the U.S., but it’s now due to exposure to different strains that circulate among particular wildlife species. Bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes are the animals most often associated with rabies, though which species carries the virus varies by region.
Keeping dogs and cats up to date on their rabies vaccinations is one of the best ways to protect both animals and people. There also are approved vaccines for ferrets, horses, sheep, and cattle.
People whose work or travel puts them at higher risk—including veterinarians, wildlife rehabilitators, and some laboratory workers—may also be advised to receive a pre-exposure rabies vaccine.
For most people, the simplest way to reduce their risk is to avoid touching or feeding wildlife—and to keep pets away from wild animals, too. If a wild animal is living near your home, keep children and pets away from it rather than trying to handle or relocate it yourself.
A bat inside the home deserves particular attention, as they are the leading source of human rabies deaths in the U.S.
Most of us give raccoons and skunks their space, and we certainly would know if we were bitten by one. Bats are different in that they can more easily enter your home, and their bites can be so small that you may not realize you have been bitten.
If a bat is found in a room with a sleeping person—or with someone who might not be able to reliably report contact, such as a young child—contact a healthcare provider or local public health department promptly for a rabies risk assessment even if you are unsure whether direct contact occurred.
Don’t touch or try to catch a bat yourself. Contact animal control or your local health department for guidance. If the bat can be safely captured for testing, the results may help determine whether post-exposure treatment is necessary.
Rabies can be prevented after an exposure with prompt post-exposure prophylaxis, as decided by a healthcare provider or public health official, which includes wound care, rabies immune globulin when indicated, and a series of rabies vaccines. This treatment must be given before symptoms develop. Once symptoms begin, rabies is almost always fatal.
The CDC lists more than 100 countries where rabies is still commonly found in dogs. You may love dogs, but don’t assume even a friendly dog is safe to interact with. It’s not possible to tell if a dog is healthy or vaccinated by just looking at it.
If you expect to spend time around dogs or other mammals in a country where rabies is common, ask your healthcare provider if pre-exposure vaccination makes sense for you.
Rabies can take weeks or months to cause symptoms. Although exact rules vary by state, typically an unvaccinated dog or cat will have a much longer quarantine and isolation period (think several months) compared with a pet that’s current on its rabies vaccination (more like several weeks).
That can be an emotionally and financially difficult situation for most pet parents, but even these scenarios are only possible because high vaccination rates have made cases of rabies among domestic animals so low; once upon a time, an unvaccinated pet in this situation would’ve been euthanized and tested for rabies.
Vaccines are victims of their own success: They’ve controlled preventable diseases so well that many people have never seen the serious effects of not vaccinating.
Pet and livestock vaccination remains essential to maintain the low risk of rabies that Americans currently enjoy.
If you’re unsure about vaccinating your animal, talk with your veterinarian about the benefits and risks. They can tailor recommendations for your individual animal.
References:
1. https://vet.tufts.edu/people/faculty/meera-gatlin
2. https://vet.tufts.edu/
(Newswise/AM)
