Multiple states issue rabies alerts as wildlife cases rise

Health officials in Idaho, Texas, North Carolina, Florida, Maryland, Alabama, Michigan and California have issued rabies alerts after a surge in confirmed cases among wildlife and a pet dog. Idaho reported 24 rabid bats this year, the highest count in four years, while a public-health district there received twice as many bat-exposure calls as the same period last year. In San Antonio, officials recorded 22 rabies cases in wild animals during June-July, compared with two or three in each of the prior two years, and noted the first dog infection in the area in more than a decade.

North Carolina is tracing contacts with baby goats from a mobile petting zoo after three of four goats tested positive, likely after a skunk entered their pen. Florida issued a 60-day alert for part of Brevard County following a raccoon positive for rabies. Maryland’s Anne Arundel and Harford counties reported positive tests in bats, raccoons and a fox, prompting public advisories.

In Alabama, a fox found near Autauga County tested positive; two vaccinated dogs may have been exposed and were given boosters. Michigan confirmed a rabid bat in Saginaw County, adding to a statewide tally of 48 infected animals this year. Yosemite National Park in California announced a rabid big brown bat found near Curry Village, reminding visitors to report any direct contact.

State health departments emphasized that rabies spreads through bites, scratches or contact with infected saliva on broken skin, eyes, nose or mouth, and that the disease is rare but fatal without prompt treatment. Residents are advised not to handle bats or other wildlife with bare hands, to seek medical care after any potential exposure, and to keep pets up to date on rabies vaccinations.