Millions of Americans could be at risk of rabies as infections surge among wildlife, and experts warn that summer recreation spots from backyards to hiking trails are no longer safe.
Within the past two weeks, dozens of county governments from Maine to Wyoming have issued urgent warnings to residents and tourists about a surge in rabies cases among local wildlife, putting communities at risk.
The dog-specific rabies variant, once the main threat to humans, was declared eliminated in the US in 2007 thanks to strict vaccination laws. However, the threat remains as bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes still carry rabies, and unvaccinated dogs can contract canine rabies from these wild animals and transmit it to humans.
That threat was top of mind for officials at the Campbell County Department of Health in North Carolina, who, last week, alerted the public after spotting two dogs near the body of a fox that tested positive for rabies earlier this week. It is unclear whether the dogs were up to date on their rabies vaccines.
Over 90 percent of animal cases reported to the CDC are in wildlife. And while one to three Americans die of the disease every year, the threat of exposure appears to be rising.
More than 200 tourists from 38 states were potentially exposed to the near-always fatal virus via a wild bat colony at the Jackson Lake Lodge in Wyoming between mid-May and late July. The state health department launched an all-out awareness effort to contact guests earlier this week.
A rabid fox attacked and bit two people in separate incidents last Monday in Aberdeen, North Carolina. Both of them are receiving medical treatment and are expected to recover.
Without rapid treatment, consisting of a fast-acting antibody shot followed by a four-dose series of shots spread over 14 days, the disease is fatal.
A North Carolina mother checking what she thought was a cat under her car was suddenly attacked by a wild fox, biting her leg, then her hand as she fought it off. That same fox, which tested positive for rabies, attacked someone else about 40 minutes later
A 77-year-old unnamed man in North Carolina was bitten by the same animal on his leg (pictured) on his birthday
After a bite, rabies infiltrates the nerves and travels to the brain, causing deadly inflammation. It destroys the brainstem, disrupting breathing and heart function while triggering aggression, hallucinations, and fear of water from throat spasms. Once symptoms appear, death follows within days.
Rabid animals often exhibit bizarre, unusual behavior, such as biting their own limbs, growling or drooling excessively, and stumbling.
Rabid bats are often unable to fly or fly in endless circles, while typically nocturnal animals, including foxes, raccoons and bats, will appear in daylight.
In Wyoming, State Health Officer Alexia Harrist said: ‘What we’re really concerned about is certainly people who have had actual physical contact with bats because the way that rabies is spread is through the bat’s saliva, either through a bite or a scratch.’
Eight cottage-style rooms at the Jackson Lake Lodge were closed on July 27 after multiple bat encounters were reported since June. The colony was settled in the hotel’s attic.
Travis Riddell, director of the Teton County Public Health Department, said: ‘Although there were a lot of people exposed in this incident, one positive about it is that we know who 100 percent of those people are.’
Meanwhile, in North Carolina, a young mother left her house to investigate what sounded like a cat under her car.
Almost immediately, a wild fox bit her leg and then her hand when she tried to get it off her.
Officers narrowly missed the fox, who ran into the neighboring woods.
Wyoming health officials are warning 200 guests at a Grand Teton hotel about possible rabies exposure from bats between May to July, with travelers from 38 states and 7 countries at risk (stock)
More than 200 people may have been infected with rabies after spending the night at the Jackson Jake Lodge in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park
Then they got a call about a similar incident nearby.
A 77-year-old unnamed man was bitten by the same fox on his leg, according to police. He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The fox, which tested positive for rabies, was caught and shot by Moore County Animal Services deputies.
Both people are receiving appropriate medical care.
After a rabid raccoon attacked a person and dog in a Charleston County neighborhood last week, health officials are issuing an urgent warning: unvaccinated pets pose a dual risk in that they can contract rabies from wildlife like raccoons and then transmit the deadly virus to humans through bites or saliva.
State officials have also reported a series of rabies cases among wild animals in recent weeks.
Most recently, Franklin County, North Carolina officials reported its 10th confirmed animal rabies case of the year.
Scott LaVigne, Franklin County Health Director, said: ‘We’ve already doubled the number of confirmed rabies cases in Franklin County this year, more than all of 2024, and this season is not even close to being over.’
Just this summer, cases have also been confirmed in animals in Virginia, several towns in Maine, New York state, Texas and Washington, where a rabid bat appeared in a child’s bedroom.
