The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an alert over rising reports of human exposure to rabid or potentially rabid animals and errors in administering rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). The CDC reported a 17% increase in rabies-related inquiries during July and August compared with the same period in 2025. The agency pointed to several high-profile rabies outbreaks and mass exposure events as reminders of the need for careful rabies risk assessments and adherence to evidence-based recommendations for PEP. Use of rabies vaccines increased 33%, while use of rabies immunoglobulins increased 76% this year, according to the CDC.

Recent reports have included rabies-positive wildlife and animals in several U.S. locations. These include a raccoon in Virginia, a dog in Louisiana, and multiple cats and skunks in New York. A rabies-infected bat was also found in…