The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a health advisory warning that rabies cases are rising across the United States, amid concern that more people could be exposed to the fatal virus.
The CDC said rabies-related inquiries rose 17 percent over the last two months compared with the same period last year. At least eight state health departments reported an increased use of rabies shots over the same period, or errors in administering the vaccine that protects people from infection.
"Several high-profile rabies outbreaks and mass rabies exposure events have highlighted the importance of performing careful rabies risk assessments and following evidence-based recommendations for administering [treatment]," health officials said.
The warning follows an incident less than two weeks earlier in which nearly 260 people in North Carolina were exposed to the virus by three baby goats at a mobile petting zoo. The zoo's owners said the goats, which were too young to receive the rabies vaccine, had been infected after being bitten by a rabid skunk.
Why rabies is so dangerous
Rabies is nearly 100 percent fatal in humans once the virus starts to cause symptoms. There is no cure, but doctors can prevent the disease with a series of five lifesaving shots, including two given on the same day someone is bitten or scratched by a rabid animal.
The virus is spread through saliva, transmitted through the bites or scratches of infected animals such as dogs, raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes. Health officials urged the public to avoid contact with wildlife and sick mammals and to seek medical care immediately if bitten or scratched.
Anyone can suffer a rabies infection, but outdoor enthusiasts, people who work with animals and travelers are at higher risk. More than 6 million people in the US report animal bites every year, and around 100,000 are treated for exposure to the rabies virus.
How many people die from rabies
The CDC says fewer than 10 people die from rabies in the US annually, and no deaths from rabies have been publicly reported this year. From 2015 to 2024, 17 human cases of rabies were reported in the US, two of whom caught the virus outside the country.
The agency did not say how many of those patients died from the infection, but most people die from the disease once symptoms appear. Only 20 cases of humans surviving rabies have ever been recorded in medical literature worldwide.
How the CDC issued the warning
The CDC sent its communication through its Health Alert Network, which the agency uses to send urgent public health information to doctors, hospital networks and health officials in other states.
Advising the public on how to avoid infection, the agency said: "Keep your distance from wildlife. Never approach animals that appear to be injured, sick, or dead, especially if you see animals during the day who are usually active at night. If you have pets, keep them up to date on rabies vaccines and away from wildlife when possible. If you or your pets have been in contact with any wildlife or sick-acting animals, particularly if you've been bitten or scratched... wash any wounds [and] talk to a clinician or public health professional about your risk and if you might need rabies-related care."
How the virus progresses and how it is treated
After someone is infected with rabies, the virus must travel to the brain before it can trigger symptoms, a process that typically takes around three to 12 weeks.
For those potentially exposed to the virus, doctors immediately begin treatment using rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. On the same day as the suspected exposure, patients receive an injection of rabies-fighting antibodies to attack any virus that may be in their body, along with the first of four doses of the rabies vaccine, which triggers immunity. The remaining doses are given three, seven and 14 days after exposure.
The course is highly effective, with more than 99 percent of patients who receive it surviving.
Rabies is nearly always fatal once symptoms begin. The first warning signs are discomfort, fever, headache and an itching sensation at the site of the bite, which can last for several days. Within two weeks, these can escalate to insomnia, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, hydrophobia and seizures, before death.
