U.S. Officials Warn of New Rabies Cases in 4 States as Cats, Bats and Raccoons Test Positive
Updated
Updated · Vet Candy · Oct 19
U.S. Officials Warn of New Rabies Cases in 4 States as Cats, Bats and Raccoons Test Positive
3 articles · Updated · Vet Candy · Oct 19
Summary
October alerts in Virginia, California, New York and Maryland flagged new rabies cases in a cat, a bat and multiple raccoons, prompting health officials to urge people to report contact and vaccinate pets.
Roanoke confirmed a rabid cat collected October 9, while Pasadena reported its third rabid bat of 2026 after one was found October 11 near Civic Center events, though officials said overall human risk remains low.
Other recent cases widened concern: Los Angeles County logged its first rabid raccoon since 1973, Suffolk County treated 2 people after separate raccoon encounters, and New York City reported 24 rabid raccoons and 5 skunks this year.
Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms begin, but prompt wound washing and post-exposure treatment can prevent infection; the CDC says about 100,000 Americans receive post-exposure vaccination each year.
Health agencies said the scattered cases do not prove a single national outbreak, but they show the virus remains entrenched in U.S. wildlife and can spill over to pets and people.
As rabid raccoons invade urban spaces for the first time in decades, are our current pet vaccination protocols enough to stop an outbreak?
With a record spike in rabid bats and invisible bites, could an unnoticed encounter in your home already be incubating a fatal disease?
Since cats are the most common rabid domestic animals, what hidden, fatal dangers might your seemingly healthy neighborhood stray be harboring right now?