Human rabies exposure cases on the rise: CDC

(NEXSTAR) -- After a summer marred by foodborne illnesses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a new, potentially alarming alert.

In a Thursday advisory, the agency warned health care providers of an increase in reported cases of human exposure to rabid or possibly rabid animals, and errors with the administration of responsive care.

Across July and August, the CDC reported a 17% increase in rabies-related inquiries compared to the same time in 2025. The agency pointed to "several high-profile rabies outbreaks and mass rabies exposure events," saying that they serve as reminders "of performing careful rabies risk assessments and following evidence-based recommendations for administering" rabies post-exposure prophylaxis care, or PEP.

Use of rabies vaccines and immunoglobulins is up 33% and 76%, respectively, this year, according to the CDC.

Health officials in Suffolk, Virginia, on Thursday warned residents that a raccoon recently tested positive for rabies within city limits. A dog in Mire, Louisiana, tested positive for rabies, prompting a warning from local veterinarians. In Elmira, New York, officials reported this week that multiple cats and skunks have recently tested positive for the virus. A rabies-infected bat was found in a Yosemite showerhouse earlier this year.

A bat in Raleigh, North Carolina, tested positive after residents rescued it from a lake, but health officials said the humans had minimal to no contact with it. Nearly 300 people in the state were also exposed to rabies via a mobile petting zoo's baby goats, the health department said last week.

Rabies isn't uncommon in the U.S. Roughly 1.4 million Americans seek medical attention after possible exposure to rabies, according to the CDC. However, fewer than 10 people die of rabies annually, a massive improvement from the "several hundred" who would die of rabies each year prior to 1960.

"Death is inevitable" once a patient starts experiencing symptoms, the World Health Organization warns. To avoid this, health officials strongly encourage anyone who believes they've been exposed to rabies to immediately seek care, which can include PEP. That process frequently includes washing the wound, vaccination and antibody treatments, which can prevent the rabies virus from spreading to the central nervous system.

It can be expensive, though, with costs running between $11,000 and $14,000, per the CDC. The agency encouraged health care providers to adhere to PEP and other rabies guidance in Thursday's alert.

Others are advised to keep their pets up to date on rabies vaccines and to stay away from wildlife, especially those that are injured, sick, or dead. Bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes are most frequently implicated in rabies exposures in the U.S.

If you or your pet interacts with any wildlife, "particularly if you've been bitten or scratched," it's recommended that you wash the wound immediately with soap and water and speak with a health care provider about the incident.

Symptoms of rabies can begin with flu-like illnesses, including fever, headache, weakness, and discomfort, according to the CDC. If you were bitten, you may experience "discomfort, prickling, or an itching sensation."

It can take weeks or months for those symptoms to appear. Then, roughly two weeks later, severe disease typically sets in, the CDC explains. This can lead to anxiety, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, excess saliva, behaviors like thrashing and biting, and being thirsty but scared of fluids.

Rabies was one of more than two dozen diseases the CDC paused diagnostic testing for earlier this year, but as of early September testing had resumed.

Nexstar's Michael Bartiromo contributed to this report.

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