WEEKEND. THAT WEEKEND FORECAST COMING YOUR WAY IN JUST A FEW TIFF CHRIS. THANK YOU. AN ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED IN MARTIN COUNTY FOLLOWING TWO CONFIRMED CASES OF RABIES. HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE NOW WARNING THE PUBLIC OF THESE RISKS. REPORTER RACHEL PERRY HAS THE DETAILS AND WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BOTH HUMANS AND PETS. THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH HERE IN MARTIN COUNTY SAYS TWO RACCOONS TESTED POSITIVE FOR RABIES, INCLUDING ONE HERE IN HOBE SOUND AND ANOTHER IN STUART. WITH THE RECENT ADVISORY, OFFICIALS SAY IT’S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE RISKS TO HUMANS AND PETS. A WARNING TO MARTIN COUNTY RESIDENTS. THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ISSUING AN ADVISORY TO ALL RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO BE AWARE THAT RABIES MAY BE PRESENT IN THE WILD ANIMAL POPULATION. WE’RE NOT GOING OUT IN THE BACKYARD, THAT’S FOR SURE. SO FAR, OFFICIALS KNOW OF TWO CONFIRMED CASES AFTER TWO RACCOONS TESTED POSITIVE FOR RABIES THIS MONTH. I PUT A CAMERA OUT ALL THE TIME. YOU KNOW, TO SEE IF ANYTHING’S COMING THROUGH THE YARD, AND IT HAS NOT SHOWN UP A RACCOON LATELY, BUT I’M GOING TO PUT IT OUT. NOW THAT YOU SAID THAT HEALTH EXPERTS SAY TO AVOID PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH WILD ANIMALS, INCLUDING RACCOONS, BATS, FOXES, SKUNKS, OTTERS, BOBCATS AND COYOTES ALL WHO CARRY A HIGHER RISK OF HUMAN EXPOSURE. BUT IF A PERSON IS EXPOSED TO RABIES, DOCTORS SAY IT’S IMPORTANT TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WASH THE AREA WITH SOAP AND WATER, CLEAN AS MUCH OF THAT STUFF OUT AS POSSIBLE, AND THEN SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION RIGHT AWAY, TELLING ME SYMPTOMS COULD TAKE UP TO SIX YEARS TO APPEAR, BUT ON AVERAGE IT’S ABOUT 2 TO 3 MONTHS AND STARTS WITH A HEADACHE, FEVER AND DISCOMFORT WHERE THE BITE HAPPENED. SO YOU MAY THINK, OH, THIS IS JUST A FLU OR SOMETHING. SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO DOWNPLAY THAT. AND IF YOU DON’T DO ANYTHING, THEN IT CAN PROGRESS TO SEVERE CASES. COULD BE ENCEPHALITIS, SEIZURES AND DEATH IF THEY DON’T SEEK HELP, HE SAYS THE INFECTION IS DEADLY. ONCE YOU START FEELING THE EFFECTS. MOST PEOPLE WOULD, YOU KNOW, WOULD DIE WITHIN FOUR WEEKS. AS FOR PETS, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WANTS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE THEIR ANIMALS ARE VACCINATED AND KEEP THEM UNDER DIRECT SUPERVISION, SAYING IF AN ANIMAL BITES YOUR PET OR LIVESTOCK, SEEK VETERINARY ASSISTANCE IMMEDIATELY. GETTING YOUR PETS VACCINATED IS REALLY IMPORTANT. THERE’S A LOT OF PET LOVERS OUT THERE, BUT YOU GOTTA MAKE SURE YOUR YOUR PETS ARE UP TO DATE WITH VACCINATIONS. THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO CALL ANIMAL CONTROL TO REMOVE ANY STRAY ANIMALS FROM YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND TO NEVER ADOPT WILD ANIMALS OR BRING THEM INTO YOUR HOME, BUT INSTEAD CONTACT A
Rabies warning in Martin County: How doctors say the virus impacts humans
Experts say early symptoms in humans can be misleading, but once they begin, the infection is often deadly within weeks without immediate treatment.
Updated: 6:59 PM EDT Mar 18, 2026
Health officials in Martin County are warning the public that rabies may be present in the wild animal population following two confirmed cases. According to the Florida Department of Health in Martin County (DOH-Martin), two raccoons tested positive for rabies after they were killed earlier this month. One of the raccoons was found in Hobe Sound, and the other was found in Stuart. Officials released the advisory on Tuesday and said both people and domestic animals should always avoid physical contact with wild animals, including raccoons, bats, foxes, skunks, otters, bobcats, and coyotes. According to the DOH, those species carry a higher risk of human exposure. WPBF 25 News caught up with Olayemi Osiyemi, an infectious disease doctor with Good Samaritan Medical Center, who explained how rabies impacts humans and why it’s important that people seek medical attention immediately after being exposed to rabies. “If you don’t get immediate help, you’re not going to feel sick right away. The incubation period can vary from three weeks to six years. On average, it’s about two to three months,” he said. Osiyemi said the infection targets the brain and the first symptoms are often discomfort at the site of the bite, a headache, or a fever. As more time goes by, he said, the symptoms get much worse. Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News”You may even think, oh, this is just a flu or something. So you might even downplay that. If you don’t do anything, then this can progress to severe cases. It could be encephalitis, seizures, and then death,” he told WPBF. If someone ignores the symptoms and doesn’t seek help, Osiyemi said, they’ll likely not survive more than four weeks after their initial symptoms appear. “Once you start feeling those side effects, most people would die within four weeks. So it may take a long time to get the symptoms, but once you do get the symptoms, the clock begins,” Osiyemi said.Because of that, Osiyemi said it’s important that doctors can treat the infection as soon as possible. “The sooner you can be seen by a medical professional, the better. Then the medical provider or the emergency room needs to know if you’ve ever had a vaccination against rabies, because if you’ve had the vaccine, the vaccine tends to protect you for about three years. So if you’ve had the vaccine before and you’re still within those three years, all we need to do is just give you a booster. But if you’ve never been vaccinated, then we have to give you the vaccine,” he said.Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.Osiyemi echoed the warning from DOH on avoiding contact with wild animals and emphasized how important it is to make sure pets are up to date on their rabies vaccine.”Usually, dogs and cats are the most common ones. But, some people say, my cats are indoor, but if they’re indoor, you should still get them vaccinated because you can get bats that can get into your house and bite your cat. So getting your pets vaccinated is really important. There are a lot of pet lovers out there, but you’ve got to make sure your pets are up to date with the vaccinations,” he said. The Florida Department of Health in Martin County encourages people to take the following precautions to prevent rabies exposure:Immunize your pets and livestock based on your veterinarian’s recommended schedule.Keep pets under direct supervision and on a leash, and keep livestock secured on your property. If an animal bites your pet or livestock, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately and contact Martin County Animal Control at 772-463-3211.Avoid contact with wild or stray animals. Do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract them with outdoor pet food, open garbage cans, or other sources of food. If you have been bitten or scratched by a wild or domestic animal, seek medical attention, and report the injury to DOH-Martin by calling 772-221-4000.Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home; instead, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.Call your local animal control agency to remove any stray animals from your neighborhood. Contact Martin County Animal Control at 772-463-3211.Prevent wildlife, including bats, from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, schools, and other similar areas where they might come in contact with people and pets.For more information on rabies, people can visit FloridaHealth.gov/Rabies or contact DOH-Martin at 772-221-4000.
MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. —
Health officials in Martin County are warning the public that rabies may be present in the wild animal population following two confirmed cases.
According to the Florida Department of Health in Martin County (DOH-Martin), two raccoons tested positive for rabies after they were killed earlier this month. One of the raccoons was found in Hobe Sound, and the other was found in Stuart.
Officials released the advisory on Tuesday and said both people and domestic animals should always avoid physical contact with wild animals, including raccoons, bats, foxes, skunks, otters, bobcats, and coyotes. According to the DOH, those species carry a higher risk of human exposure.
WPBF 25 News caught up with Olayemi Osiyemi, an infectious disease doctor with Good Samaritan Medical Center, who explained how rabies impacts humans and why it’s important that people seek medical attention immediately after being exposed to rabies.
“If you don’t get immediate help, you’re not going to feel sick right away. The incubation period can vary from three weeks to six years. On average, it’s about two to three months,” he said.
Osiyemi said the infection targets the brain and the first symptoms are often discomfort at the site of the bite, a headache, or a fever. As more time goes by, he said, the symptoms get much worse.
Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News
“You may even think, oh, this is just a flu or something. So you might even downplay that. If you don’t do anything, then this can progress to severe cases. It could be encephalitis, seizures, and then death,” he told WPBF.
If someone ignores the symptoms and doesn’t seek help, Osiyemi said, they’ll likely not survive more than four weeks after their initial symptoms appear.
“Once you start feeling those side effects, most people would die within four weeks. So it may take a long time to get the symptoms, but once you do get the symptoms, the clock begins,” Osiyemi said.
Because of that, Osiyemi said it’s important that doctors can treat the infection as soon as possible.
“The sooner you can be seen by a medical professional, the better. Then the medical provider or the emergency room needs to know if you’ve ever had a vaccination against rabies, because if you’ve had the vaccine, the vaccine tends to protect you for about three years. So if you’ve had the vaccine before and you’re still within those three years, all we need to do is just give you a booster. But if you’ve never been vaccinated, then we have to give you the vaccine,” he said.
Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
Osiyemi echoed the warning from DOH on avoiding contact with wild animals and emphasized how important it is to make sure pets are up to date on their rabies vaccine.
“Usually, dogs and cats are the most common ones. But, some people say, my cats are indoor, but if they’re indoor, you should still get them vaccinated because you can get bats that can get into your house and bite your cat. So getting your pets vaccinated is really important. There are a lot of pet lovers out there, but you’ve got to make sure your pets are up to date with the vaccinations,” he said.
The Florida Department of Health in Martin County encourages people to take the following precautions to prevent rabies exposure:
Immunize your pets and livestock based on your veterinarian’s recommended schedule.Keep pets under direct supervision and on a leash, and keep livestock secured on your property. If an animal bites your pet or livestock, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately and contact Martin County Animal Control at 772-463-3211.Avoid contact with wild or stray animals. Do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract them with outdoor pet food, open garbage cans, or other sources of food. If you have been bitten or scratched by a wild or domestic animal, seek medical attention, and report the injury to DOH-Martin by calling 772-221-4000.Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home; instead, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.Call your local animal control agency to remove any stray animals from your neighborhood. Contact Martin County Animal Control at 772-463-3211.Prevent wildlife, including bats, from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, schools, and other similar areas where they might come in contact with people and pets.
For more information on rabies, people can visit FloridaHealth.gov/Rabies or contact DOH-Martin at 772-221-4000.