AZ Public Health Association – Arizona is in the middle of a rabies surge among wildlife, particularly in the southern regions of the state.
There has been a significant uptick in rabies cases among wildlife, mostly among skunks, foxes, and bats (the usual cast of characters).
Pima County has reported 36 confirmed rabies wildlife cases so far this year, accounting for nearly half of Arizona’s total cases. The majority of these cases involve bats, but also a mountain lion.
Pinal has had multiple rabies advisories following positive tests in gray foxes, skunks, and a bobcat. Santa Cruz County has 10 confirmed cases, while Cochise County has had 8.
The presence of healthy populations of common rabies carriers, such as foxes and skunks, in these areas may contribute to the higher number of cases.
Rabies cases among wildlife are usually found because someone – either a member of the general public or fish and game or state or federal parks staff meet an animal that’s acting outside the normal behavior for the species.
Bats are consistently the most common source of rabies exposure to humans in Arizona… and each year about 30 people are exposed to rabid animals (usually bats).
They euthanize the animal, and the brain is tested by staff at the ADHS state laboratory (all the lab staff that do this work are vaccinated against rabies virus).
Wildlife cases are seldom found because they bite a human – but it does happen …
Public health importance of rabies
US CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
Rabies is a rare but serious public health concern in the United States. Before 1960, several hundred people died of rabies each year.
Thanks to the coordinated efforts of human and animal health experts, fewer than 10 human deaths are reported each year in the U.S. While rabies is uncommon in humans, three out of four Americans live in a community where raccoons, skunks, or foxes carry this deadly disease.
In the U.S., around 4,000 animal rabies cases are reported each year, with more than 90% occurring in wildlife like bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. This is a big change from the 1960s, when domestic animals, mainly dogs, represented most of the rabies cases.
The decrease in human deaths from rabies from over 100 per year in the early 1900s to fewer than 10 annually since the 1960s is directly related to:
- Successful vaccination of pets and animal control programs,
- Public health tracking and testing of human and animal rabies cases, and
- The availability and use of rabies-related medical care, called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
Even though rabies is well-controlled in the U.S., over 4 million Americans report animal bites each year with 800,000 seeking medical attention. Rabies vaccines are complex, expensive, and limited. Public health programs can assess each person who may have been exposed to rabies to determine if they need rabies-related medical care, including the vaccine.
Sometimes, people still die from rabies, usually because they didn’t get medical help soon enough after being scratched or bitten. It’s important to be aware of the risk, especially with bat bites, which can be easy to ignore because they don’t always leave obvious marks.
Animal rabies surveillance in the U.S.
Every year, the CDC collects and analyzes data on rabies cases in animals and people from state health departments. The latest report, “Rabies Surveillance in the United States,” gives a detailed look at the current rabies landscape in the United States:
- Wildlife Rabies Surveillance: Wild animals account for >90% of reported cases, with bats (33%), raccoons (30%), skunks (20%), and foxes (7%) most often exposing Americans to rabies.
- Rabies Virus Variants: The rabies virus has adapted to specific animal reservoir hosts (like raccoons, bats, skunks, and foxes), and these variants can be found in specific parts of the U.S.
Rabies animal reservoirs in the U.S.
Bats: Rabid bats are found in all U.S. states, except for Hawaii. While certain bats are more commonly diagnosed with rabies, all bat species are susceptible and any direct contact with a bat should be reported to a medical provider or your public health department.
Raccoons: Raccoons are a rabies reservoir in the eastern U.S., extending from Canada to Florida and as far west as the Appalachian Mountain range. Within these areas, 10% of raccoons that expose people or pets have rabies, making them one of the highest rabies-risks in the U.S. However, rabid raccoons are rarely reported outside of the eastern U.S., highlighting the importance of considering the local patterns of rabies when assessing a patient’s rabies exposure risk.
Skunks: Skunks are a rabies reservoir across most states in the Midwest and Western parts of the U.S. While exposures to rabid skunks are not very common in the U.S., when they occur >20% of skunks that expose people or pets have rabies. This means that skunks are the highest risk for rabies in the U.S., if they bite or scratch a person or pet. Even skunks found in states where raccoons are the reservoir are considered high-risk.
Foxes: Foxes are a reservoir for rabies in the Southwestern U.S. (Gray Foxes) and Alaska (Arctic Foxes). Like skunks, >20% of foxes that bite or scratch people or pets have rabies. The risk is highest in the U.S. Southwest and Alaska, however rabid foxes have been reported in many parts of the U.S. and should be considered a high-risk exposure. Since 2023, rabies outbreaks in foxes were reported in Arizona, California, and Alaska.
Mongoose: Mongoose are a rabies reservoir in Puerto Rico, and they often infect unvaccinated, stray dogs. Over 80% of mongooses that expose people or pets have rabies, making them the highest risk rabies exposure. In Puerto Rico, dogs are also often reported with rabies, and exposure to unfamiliar or strange-acting dogs should always be regarded as high-risk.
Other mammals do get rabies in the U.S., despite not being reservoirs for this disease. Any contact with unfamiliar and strange acting animals should be reported to health authorities, who can determine if you need further medical care, please refer to the When to Seek Medical Care page.
Rabies Virus Variant territories in the United States. Abbreviations: ARC FX = Arctic Fox, CA SK = California Skunk, AZ FX = Arizona Gray Fox, SC SK = South Central Skunk, NC SK = North Central Skunk, E RC = Eastern Raccoon, MG = Mongoose
Prevention efforts: behind the scenes
Human rabies cases in the U.S. are rare because of comprehensive efforts across sectors:
- Wildlife Vaccination: Wildlife professionals distribute over 8 million oral vaccines to wild animals annually, through baits, to stop the virus from spreading in them.
- Pet Vaccination: Veterinary professionals vaccinate more than 40 million cats and dogs each year, keeping pets and families safe.
- Animal Re-homing: Humane societies and shelters find new homes for stray animals, lowering the risk of rabies spreading.
- Research and Development: Scientists are always working to improve vaccines and find new treatments for rabies.
Wildlife rabies management
The United States National Wildlife Rabies Management Program is a collaboration of over 50 U.S. animal and human health organizations to implement a coordinated, cost-effective, science-based program to control rabies in wildlife. Under this plan, each year over 10 million wildlife vaccine baits are distributed to prevent rabies spread. CDC’s National Rabies Reference Laboratory provides diagnostic testing expertise to support over 130 U.S. laboratories maintain accurate testing. CDC’s National Rabies Surveillance System works with 54 health jurisdictions to analyze patterns of rabies in the U.S.
Response measures
Veterinary professionals, animal control officers, and public health workers play an important role in responding to a potential rabies exposure by determining the risk of rabies. Specifically, they conduct:
- Assessments: Veterinary evaluations and public health interviews help determine exposure risk.
- Testing: More than 130 labs test nearly 100,000 animals for rabies annually. In a typical year, over 4,000 animals test positive for rabies.
