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More wild animals are getting infected with rabies, which poses a public health threat, officials warn.
Around 75% of Americans are exposed to raccoons, skunks and foxes — the very wildlife that commonly spread the fatal disease to humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The latest report from the CDC’s National Rabies Surveillance System, which monitors rabies trends in the U.S., found that wildlife cases increased 5% in 2023 over the prior year.
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“Currently, the CDC Rabies Program is tracking 15 rabies outbreak events,” Paul Prince, a CDC spokesperson, told Fox News Digital. “There are likely many more rabies outbreaks across the U.S., but these are managed at the local or state level.”
Nassau County in New York declared an imminent public health alert this summer after confirming 22 cases this year compared to just six last year — a more than three-fold increase.
“These cases reflect a troubling resurgence of terrestrial rabies, which had been successfully eliminated from Nassau County after 2016 through coordinated intervention efforts,” Alyssa Zohrabian, director of the Office of Communications of Nassau County Department of Health, told Fox News Digital.
What is rabies?
Rabies is a virus that is transmitted to humans by a bite or scratch from a rabid animal, according to the CDC.
It can sometimes take weeks or months to reach a diagnosis, because the infection only causes symptoms after it travels to the brain and spinal cord.
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Severe disease, however, often presents within two weeks of illness, causing confusion, agitation and hallucinations, the above source states.
People may initially feel like they have the flu, complaining of a fever, headache or weakness. Another clue is pain or numbness at the site of the bite.
“Recent cases likely do not indicate a national human rabies outbreak, but a reminder that rabies is still a public health threat.”
“Classic rabies” causes someone to feel very thirsty, while paradoxically feeling a sense of panic at the sight of fluids. Someone may also produce lots of saliva and exhibit aggressive behavior.
Rabies is almost always fatal after symptoms — but it is also nearly 100% preventable.
After a rabies exposure, people should seek immediate preventative medical care, known as post-exposure prophylaxis, which involves thoroughly cleaning the wound and receiving a rabies vaccination.
People can also receive neutralizing antibodies to fight the infection, experts advise.
Why are wildlife cases increasing?
“The CDC, at least in part, attributes this to human translocation of animals into areas where rabies had not been or was in very low incidence,” Dr. Edward R. Rensimer, a specialist in infectious diseases with expertise in rabies prevention, told Fox News Digital.
“This has prompted an increase in some states in allocation of funds for rabies vaccine bait placement for wildlife,” added Rensimer, who is also the director of the International Medicine Center in Houston, Texas.
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The Nassau County Department of Health launched the first phase of its reinstituted oral rabies vaccine baiting program in fall 2024, with a second round in spring and a third planned for this fall.
“When there are cutbacks in animal control and prevention of rabies efforts, invariably that can lead to increased incidence of rabies in wild animals, with the tragic potential [for] cases in humans,” Aaron Glatt, chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital on Long Island, New York, told Fox News Digital.
“Fortunately, there are only a handful of human rabies cases reported annually, and there is an effective vaccine that can be given to patients after an at-risk animal bite.”
Six people have died from rabies in the U.S. over the last year, with two of those deaths in 2025, the CDC spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
“Recent cases likely do not indicate a national human rabies outbreak, but a reminder that rabies is still a public health threat in the U.S. and abroad,” he added.
Which animals get rabies?
More than 90% of reported cases of rabies in animals are from wild animals — most frequently bats, according to the CDC.
Depending on where they live, Americans are also at risk of exposure to other wildlife.
“There are over 30 different rabies viruses in the U.S., all associated with wildlife,” the CDC spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Each of these viral variants has a unique animal species and geographic range, and can have its own specific outbreaks.”
Those who live in the eastern U.S. have some of the highest risks of being exposed to rabies from raccoons in the area.
Skunks pose a high risk for rabies in the Midwest and Western U.S., and foxes present a danger for people who live in the Southwestern part of the country as well as Alaska, per the CDC.
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Rabies in skunks increased in Kentucky in 2024 to 2025, and there were rabies outbreaks among foxes in Arizona and California in 2023, Rensimer added.
Rabies is present in wildlife in all states except Hawaii, according to the CDC spokesperson.
Can pets get rabies?
Only a small percentage of rabies cases in the U.S. affect domestic animals, such as dogs and cats, according to experts — but it’s not outside the realm of possibility.
“Pets that mostly stay inside a home may seem like they are at low risk to get rabies, but rabid wildlife can get into our homes and backyards even if we don’t see them,” the CDC spokesperson cautioned.
“The best way to avoid rabies is to stay away from wildlife.”
“Our pets are more likely than us to interact with wildlife, and they are often unable to tell us when they’ve been exposed.”
A stray puppy and two stray cats tested positive for rabies in Philadelphia this year, James Garrow, communications director for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, told Fox News Digital.
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It is important to keep pets up to date on vaccinations — both to protect their health and to prevent transmission to humans, experts agree.
Nassau County Department of Health, in partnership with the Town of Oyster Bay, is offering free rabies vaccinations for dogs, cats and ferrets to all county residents on Saturday, Sept. 13.
“The best way to avoid rabies is to stay away from wildlife,” Glatt reiterated.
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