CDC Warns of Summer Surge in Rabies Exposures Nationwide

The CDC issued a health alert Thursday after rabies-related inquiries rose 17% this summer, with a petting zoo outbreak exposing hundreds of people.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory Thursday through its Health Alert Network, warning of a summer spike in rabies cases among animals and a corresponding rise in human exposures across the country. The agency urged doctors to watch for possible exposures and administer vaccines and treatments as needed, and told the public to avoid wildlife and sick mammals, seeking care after any bite or scratch. Less than two weeks earlier, North Carolina officials announced three baby goats at a mobile petting zoo tested positive for rabies after being bitten by a skunk, exposing hundreds of people.

The timing and scale of the surge stand out. According to NBC News, the CDC received 17% more rabies-related inquiries from July through August than in the same period last year, and at least eight state health departments reported increased use of rabies shots or errors in administering the post-exposure regimen. Rabies exposures typically peak in summer, but the combination of high-profile mass exposure events — including one at a petting zoo where the animals were too young to be vaccinated — has made the season's spike unusually prominent and prompted the rare formal alert.

Florida Today reports that the North Carolina petting zoo, Farm Adventures, confirmed several baby goats tested positive for rabies after being bitten by a skunk found in their pen, with nearly 300 people exposed. The state health department tracked down contacts and recommended rabies shots for more than 260 people, and four goats were euthanized to prevent further spread. NBC News spoke with Rebecca Lanning, whose 4-year-old was exposed at an exhibit that included the petting zoo on Aug. 15 and received his first vaccine shots. "I don't want to bury my child," she said.

The stakes are framed by the disease's rarity and severity. Per the CDC figures cited by FOX6 News, the US sees about 4,000 animal rabies cases yearly, roughly 90% in wildlife such as bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes, while around 100,000 people are treated for potential exposure each year but fewer than 10 die annually. KFVS12 notes immunocompromised individuals may need a five-dose regimen with follow-up testing.

Florida Today reports that while the CDC did not pinpoint where the increases occurred, Brevard County issued a rabies alert on Sept. 2 after a confirmed rabid raccoon in the Melbourne area, and St. Johns County issued one Aug. 31 after a rabid raccoon in the St. Augustine South area. According to Florida Today, the Florida Department of Health recorded 117 rabies cases in 2025, most in Brevard, and the state's main wildlife carriers are raccoons and bats — though foxes, skunks, coyotes and stray cats and dogs can also carry the virus. Hawaii remains the only US state free of rabies, according to NBC News.

The CDC is urging clinicians to perform careful rabies risk assessments and follow evidence-based recommendations for post-exposure prophylaxis, since errors can lead to unnecessary treatment, adverse effects and avoidable costs. Because treatment must begin before symptoms start — typically within weeks to months of exposure — health officials stress rapid evaluation for anyone potentially exposed.