Exposure to Rabies on the Rise, CDC Warns

Exposure to rabies is happening more often in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a Sept. 10 alert.

Rabies is a viral disease spread to humans through bites, scratches, and fluids from an infected animal. It is nearly 100 percent fatal if not treated before symptoms appear, which can take weeks.

In July and August, the CDC received 17 percent more rabies-related inquiries than the same period in 2025, and pharmacy data as of Sept. 2 shows that use of the two available rabies vaccines and two rabies treatments have shot up by 33 percent and 76 percent, respectively, since the year prior. The treatments are human rabies immune globulin and vaccination.

There have also been “several high-profile rabies outbreaks and mass rabies exposure events,” and at least eight health departments have reported increased use of rabies treatment, errors in administering the treatment, or both, the CDC said in the alert, which conveys key facts about rabies and how to deal with the disease to the public and clinicians.

Rabies typically comes from bats, foxes, raccoons, and skunks. Recent cases included beavers that tested positive for the disease and attacked people at a state park in Maryland. Baby goats at a mobile petting zoo in North Carolina tested positive for rabies in August, prompting officials to warn people who attended events across several weeks about possible exposure. Symptoms can include fever, anxiety, and hallucinations.

Healthcare workers should be aware of post-exposure prophylaxis recommendations, which begin with immediately caring for bite wounds by gently irrigating them with water or a diluted iodine solution and cleansing them, the CDC said. Practitioners are then advised to administer a dose of immune globulin and provide a rabies vaccine in four doses across four medical visits.

Common errors include administering rabies vaccines in the wrong area of the body, administering the immune globulin and vaccine in the same syringe, and forgetting to give the immune globulin to someone who needs it.

The CDC says people who have been previously vaccinated against rabies, and people receiving pre-exposure vaccine doses, should not receive immune globulin.

There is no shortage of vaccines or the immune globulin at present, but it is important to follow recommendations to avoid added costs and the possibility of side effects, the CDC said. A course of the immune globulin can run up to $14,000.

Members of the public should keep their distance from wildlife and never approach animals that appear injured, sick, or dead, the CDC warned. Pets should be kept up to date with rabies vaccines and kept away from wildlife.

If a person or their pet has been in contact with wildlife, particularly if a bite or scratch has occurred, they should wash any wounds immediately with soap and water and speak to a health professional about the risk of contracting rabies. If it can be done safely, they can capture the animal before contacting animal control or the local health department.