CDC warns of rise in animal rabies activity and human exposures: Here’s what to know

CDC warns of rise in animal rabies activity and human exposures: Here’s what to know

The Brief

The CDC is warning the public and health officials about an increase in animal rabies activity and human exposures.

In the United States, people are usually exposed to rabies by coming in contact with wild animals infected with the virus.

There are about 100,000 vaccinations due to potential rabies exposure in humans each year in the U.S.

There has been an increase in rabies exposure this summer, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned on Tuesday. 

Rabies in humans

What we know:

Reports of animal exposures and rabies post-exposure vaccinations have increased across the U.S.

What we don't know:

The number of possible exposure cases reported this summer was not immediately shared. 

Big picture view:

Rabies can be a fatal viral disease, but it is also very preventable.

The CDC is advising all health care professionals and the public to be vigilant and to avoid contact with sick-acting mammals and wildlife.

Rabies in the US

By the numbers:

Cases of potential exposure to rabies in humans in the U.S. amount to about 100,000 each year, according to the CDC. There are about 4,000 animal rabies cases reported each year. 

About 90% of those animal rabies cases occur in the wild like in bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes. 

Rabies primarily impacts the central nervous system and, if left untreated, can lead to severe brain disease and possibly death.

The CDC advises anyone who may have been in contact with an animal that was acting out of the ordinary, to get checked by a health care professional for possible rabies exposure. 

Dig deeper:

After a person is exposed to rabies, the types of symptoms they experience can be twofold.

The first symptoms of rabies may include:

Flu-like illness including weakness or discomfort, fever, or headache

Discomfort, prickling, or an itching sensation at the site of the bite

Usually, severe disease appears within 2 weeks of the first symptoms. People are more familiar with the "classic" symptoms of advanced rabies, which include:

• Anxiety
• Confusion
• Agitation
• Hallucinations
• Being very thirsty but panicked by fluids
• Having lots of saliva
• Aggressive behavior like thrashing and biting