{"id":643515,"date":"2026-10-11T21:58:20","date_gmt":"2026-10-11T21:58:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/643515\/"},"modified":"2026-10-11T21:58:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T21:58:20","slug":"rabies-cases-are-spreading-nationwide-heres-how-to-protect-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/643515\/","title":{"rendered":"Rabies cases are spreading nationwide. Here\u2019s how to protect yourself"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rabies cases<\/a> are rising in the United States with life-threatening consequences for people who don’t receive timely treatment.<\/p>\n

Los Angeles<\/a> just reported its first case in a raccoon in over 50 years<\/a> this week. National parks have warned about swooping rabid bats<\/a> and rabid beavers attacked<\/a> in Maryland over the summer.<\/p>\n

Cases jumped 17 percent nationwide this summer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> last month.<\/p>\n

The viral infection affects the central nervous system<\/a>, leading to flu-like illness, confusion, agitation, aggressive behavior, anxiety and hallucinations. Infections can be fatal if people don’t receive medical care before symptoms start, according to the CDC.<\/a><\/p>\n

People can protect themselves by taking precautions and knowing about sources of exposure.<\/p>\n

\"Los<\/p>\n

Los Angeles officials just reported the first case of rabies in a raccoon in more than 50 years. Here’s how experts say you can prevent an infection (Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Animal advice<\/p>\n

Animals are the most common way that rabies spreads but there have been reports of rarer methods of transmission, including during organ transplants<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The best way to avoid rabies is to maintain a safe distance from wildlife, health officials say. That means never approaching any animals that appear to be injured, sick or even dead. Infections can occur weeks or months following a bite or scratch.<\/p>\n

If you come across an animal that you suspect may have rabies, you should contact your local animal control department.<\/p>\n

A dead animal can still spread the virus through contact with saliva or wounds, according to health officials<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

People who work with or around animals may need to get a pre-exposure rabies vaccine (NPS Photo)<\/p>\n

Pets should also be kept away from wild animals as much as possible. Owners need to ensure their pets are up-to-date on rabies vaccines, too. There are approved vaccines for dogs, cats, ferrets, horses, sheep and cattle. Some of these shots are covered by pet insurance plans, Progressive<\/a> notes.<\/p>\n

People who work with or around animals, including veterinarians and lab wildlife rehabilitators, may be advised to receive a pre-exposure rabies vaccine, as well. These are rarely covered by health insurance plans and may cost up to $280 to $360 per dose, according to Purdue University<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What to do if you’re exposed to rabies<\/p>\n

If you believe you have been exposed to rabies through a bite or a scratch, wash the wounds with soap and water for 15 minutes to help flush out the virus. Then seek immediate medical attention.<\/p>\n

You should tell a healthcare professional about if you work around animals, the type of animal you encountered and if there were signs the animal was not acting normally.<\/p>\n

If the animal is a pet, ask the owner for proof that the animal is up to date on their rabies vaccination.<\/p>\n

And if you’re unsure if you had any direct contact with a rabid animal but still think you have been exposed, consult your local health department.<\/p>\n

Medical care after a rabies exposure includes wound care, a medication that provides protective immune antibodies and a series of four or five vaccines. But vaccinations after being exposed to rabies can be expensive, costing thousands of dollars<\/a> for people without health insurance.<\/p>\n

That’s why knowing when people need the shots is crucial. Some 100,000 Americans are vaccinated<\/a> against rabies following a potential rabies exposure every year. Federal data shows there are typically around 4,000 cases of the virus<\/a> each year, with fewer than 10 deaths.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rabies cases are rising in the United States with life-threatening consequences for people who don’t receive timely treatment.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":643516,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[163,85,46],"class_list":["post-643515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-health","tag-il","tag-israel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/643515","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=643515"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/643515\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/643516"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=643515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=643515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=643515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}