The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned doctors and clinics that reports of human exposure to rabid or possibly rabid animals climbed this summer, and that some patients received the wrong follow-up care.
In an advisory, the agency said rabies-related inquiries rose 17 percent in July and August compared with the same period in 2025. At least eight state health agencies reported heavier use of post-exposure prophylaxis, known as PEP, along with procedural errors by providers.
Vaccine and antibody use up sharply
Surveillance numbers through September 2 show use of licensed rabies vaccines up about 33 percent, while applications of human rabies immune globulin rose 76 percent year over year. The CDC pointed to several high-profile outbreaks and mass exposure events as the reason for the jump.
One case in North Carolina drew wide attention: more than 260 people were urged to seek treatment after contact with rabid baby goats at a traveling petting zoo. Events like that stretch clinics that do not normally handle rabies, and mistakes follow when staff are unfamiliar with the schedule.
Who needs treatment
Roughly 100,000 Americans receive PEP each year after animal encounters, out of more than six million reported bites. Fewer than ten deaths are recorded annually in the United States. Wild mammals, including bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes, account for about 90 percent of reported animal rabies cases.
What providers are told to do
The CDC asked clinicians to perform careful rabies risk assessments after any bite, scratch or saliva contact, and to follow evidence-based recommendations when giving PEP. Wound washing and timely doses matter, and the agency said incomplete or incorrectly timed courses leave patients unprotected.
People who are bitten should wash the wound with soap and water and contact a health provider quickly, the agency said. Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms begin, which is why the treatment schedule is not optional.