Federal health officials reported a nationwide increase in human exposures to rabid or possibly rabid animals this summer. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Health Alert Network advisory on September 10 to alert clinicians, health departments, and the public.

From July through August, the CDC received 17% more rabies-related inquiries than during the same period in 2025. The agency also noted reports from at least eight state health departments of increased use of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, administration errors, or both. Pharmacy data through early September showed utilization of licensed rabies vaccines rose an estimated 33% and immunoglobulins rose 76% compared with the prior year.

Examples include a mass exposure event in North Carolina involving nearly 300 people at a mobile petting zoo with rabid baby goats. Officials recommended prophylaxis for 213 individuals there. Other incidents involved wildlife such as bats, raccoons, and foxes in multiple states.

Rabies remains preventable with prompt administration of vaccine and, when indicated, human rabies immune globulin before symptoms appear. The CDC urged anyone bitten, scratched, or otherwise potentially exposed to contact a health care provider or public health department immediately for a risk assessment. Clinicians were advised to follow evidence-based guidelines to avoid unnecessary treatments that could strain limited supplies.

Health officials stressed keeping pets vaccinated, avoiding wildlife contact, and washing wounds promptly after any animal encounter. The advisory comes amid broader summer increases in reported exposures involving both common and less typical rabies vectors.