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In 1938, nearly every rabid animal reported in the United States was a pet or farm animal: 9,321 domestic animals against 44 wild ones. By 2017 the numbers had reversed — 399 domestic, 4,055 wild. Rabies vaccines for dogs changed the disease in America, and today the animal most likely to give an American rabies is a bat.
Are you at risk for rabies? CDC Vital Signs.
Rabid animals reported in the United States, 1938 and 2017. Credit: CDC, U.S. National Rabies Surveillance System.
Why it still matters
Rabies is a virus that infects wildlife — in the United States especially bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes. It spreads to people and pets through bites and scratches, and causes fever, agitation and death. Yet it is 100 percent preventable with post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) — rabies vaccine plus medicine to fight the infection — as long as PEP starts before symptoms do.
| Rabies in the U.S., by the numbers | |
|---|---|
| People treated for possible exposure | one every 10 minutes; about 55,000 a year receive PEP |
| Animals testing positive | about 5,000 a year, mostly wildlife |
| U.S. rabies deaths caused by bats | 7 in 10 |
| Dogs among rabid animals reported | 1% |
| Mass bat exposures (more than 10 people) handled by CDC and partners | 175 a year |
The second leading cause of rabies deaths among Americans is rabid dogs abroad, met while traveling.
Where rabies lives
Common rabies carriers across the United States. Credit: CDC.
| Animal | Found with rabies in |
|---|---|
| Bats | every state except Hawaii |
| Raccoons | the South and the Eastern states |
| Skunks | parts of California, the Midwest, Texas, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee |
| Foxes | Alaska, Arizona and New Mexico |
| Foxes and skunks | Arizona, New Mexico and Texas |
| Mongooses | Puerto Rico |
What people get wrong
- Worrying about the wrong animals. Opossums and squirrels hardly ever have rabies.
- Missing a bat bite. A bat's bite or scratch can be smaller than the top of a pencil eraser — and can still spread rabies.
- Thinking it stays in the woods. Rabid animals turn up in yards and homes too.
What to do
Everyone: leave all wildlife alone, and don't touch injured wildlife — call local authorities. Wash any animal bite or scratch at once with soap and water. If you are bitten, scratched or unsure, ask a healthcare provider whether you need PEP. Vaccinate your pets.
Healthcare providers: ask patients about recent animal bites or scratches, and call the local or state health department for help assessing risk and deciding on PEP.
Travelers: check health advice for your destination at wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel, learn whether rabies is present in dogs or wildlife there, avoid contact with all animals, and get medical care as soon as possible after any bite or scratch.
Sources
Based on "Rabies: A Forgotten Killer," CDC Vital Signs (June 12, 2019), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a work of the United States government in the public domain. Animal data from the U.S. National Rabies Surveillance System. The companion report is Vital Signs: Trends in Human Rabies Deaths and Exposures — United States, 1938–2018.
- The film is the agency's own low-resolution copy, recovered from the Internet Archive's record of cdc.gov.
Licencia: CC0 1.0 (dominio público) · Adaptado de www.cdc.gov
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