CDC Issues Advisory as Rabies Cases Rise Among Wildlife
U.S. health officials warn of increased rabies risk after recent wildlife outbreaks, while no human cases have been confirmed in 2026.
Recent wildlife incidents, including rabid beavers in Maryland and New Jersey and infected goats at a North Carolina petting zoo, have prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue an advisory urging more people to seek rabies vaccinations after risky animal encounters. The advisory follows a surge in reported bat rabies cases in California and a record number of bat tests nationwide.
Dr. Sara Margrey, Ohio's public health veterinarian, noted that more bats are being tested this year, but the proportion that test positive has not risen. > "It's kind of a positive feedback loop sometimes," she said.
Officials highlighted that rabies remains a persistent threat across various wildlife species, from raccoons on the East Coast to skunks in the central states and foxes in Texas, where a skunk-associated variant is driving an "evolving outbreak." In the United States, bats are responsible for the majority of human rabies deaths, according to recent reports.
Experts cited additional factors that could contribute to a perceived increase in risk, such as growing skepticism about pet vaccinations, climate-related changes in animal populations, and expanding human development into former wildlife habitats. > "We're building subdivisions into former wildlife areas," said Dr. Jonathan Sleeman, a wildlife veterinarian at the University of Minnesota. "Wildlife are increasingly adapting to human habitation, and we're encountering the wildlife more frequently."
The Times reported that staff reductions at the CDC have affected the agency's rabies program, leading to a temporary suspension of rabies testing in early April, which resumed in August.