Reports of people exposed to rabid or possibly rabid animals are rising across the country, and health officials say it's important that Maryland residents know what to do after a bite or scratch to prevent a nearly always fatal disease.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a Sept. 10 health advisory that it received 17 percent more rabies-related inquiries in July and August than in the same period last year.
At least eight state health departments also reported increased use of preventive treatment, errors in administering it or both. The CDC did not identify the eight states.
Overall, positive rabies cases recorded so far in 2026 in Maryland are actually down from the past two years, bucking the nationwide trend, and rabies bait programs may be the cause, officials say.
Rabies bait programs use oral vaccination and are implemented through a cooperative effort between federal, state, and local agencies, including the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), state departments of health and local health departments.
Officials say these programs aim to reduce rabies in wildlife populations by distributing ORV baits in targeted areas.
Raccoons continue to have the highest number of rabies-positive cases across the state.
"Raccoon rabies is endemic to the northeastern United States and is the most common carrier of rabies in the region," Ronya Nassar, Harford County director of population health, told Patch.
David McCallister, public information officer for the Maryland Department of Health, told Patch that in 2024, there were 226 laboratory-confirmed animal rabies cases, and the same number in 2025. But as of Sept. 8, 2026, the number of laboratory-confirmed animal rabies cases for the state stands at 170.
"The state records 200 to 500 confirmed rabid animals each year," McCallister told Patch. "In Maryland, rabies is most frequently found in wildlife, most commonly raccoons, foxes, skunks and bats. Domestic animals, including livestock, are also at risk and cats are the most frequently identified rabid domestic animal."
In Maryland, raccoons were the most common rabid animal species from 2000 to 2025 and are the primary terrestrial reservoir for a distinct variant of the rabies virus across the Eastern, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, McCallister said. In Maryland, 65% of all animals positive for rabies are raccoons.
"Their adaptability to suburban and urban habitats also increases the frequency of infection due to interactions with other wildlife/rabies reservoir species," he noted.
In Maryland, only two counties have rabies bait programs: Harford and Anne Arundel.
Anne Arundel County launched its rabies bait program in 1998 as a small pilot project on the Annapolis peninsula, then expanded in 2000 to include Gibson Island. The following year, it added the Broadneck peninsula; then, in 2003, the program went countywide.
Based on numbers alone, the rabies bait program in Anne Arundel County seems to be working. Total cases in 2025 for Anne Arundel County were seven, while Baltimore County had 21 cases, Frederick County had 38, Harford County had 28, and Montgomery County had 21, for comparison.
This year, Harford County started a rabies bait program that covers high case-count areas. The Harford County Health Department is currently placing more than 15,000 baits containing the rabies vaccine across the county. The goal is to immunize thousands of wild raccoons.
"Since 1998, Anne Arundel County and over 10 states have successfully used this vaccine to limit the spread of raccoon rabies," Nassar told Patch. "Building on their success, we met with the Anne Arundel County Health Department last year to design an oral rabies vaccination pilot program for Harford County. Additionally, residents of Harford County advocated for this program."
The Harford County Health Department Environmental Health Bureau has submitted 217 animals for rabies testing through August 2026, Nassar said, and 21 tested positive. A total of 173 animals were submitted through August of 2025, with 23 positive cases, and 140 were submitted through August of 2024, with 11 positives.
In Maryland, pet owners are required by law to have their dogs, cats and ferrets vaccinated against rabies and to keep those vaccinations up to date, McCallister said. Pet owners are also encouraged not to leave pets outside unattended or allow them to roam free.
Nassar told Patch that Harford County residents are regularly reminded to always keep their pets leashed when out for walks and closely monitored when in the backyard. They shouldn't leave pet food outside and should cover trash cans.
McCallister told Patch that an animal that has been fully vaccinated against rabies is "nearly 100% protected" if it happened to come across another animal with rabies. Stray, or free-roaming, cats typically don't receive veterinary care and therefore have no rabies vaccine.
"Although most cases of rabies in the United States occur in wild animals, you should have your pets vaccinated on a regular basis to ensure they are protected. Vaccines work best if they are given before exposure and updated regularly," he said.
Wildlife that commonly carry rabies in the United States include bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes, but any mammal can become infected. Nearly 300 people were exposed to goats with rabies at a petting zoo in North Carolina earlier this summer.
Rabies is a viral disease that attacks the central nervous system. An infected animal can spread it through bites, scratches or saliva that enters an open wound or the eyes, nose or mouth. A person generally cannot tell whether an animal has rabies simply by looking at it.
Rabies is nearly always fatal after symptoms begin. However, it is preventable when treatment is given promptly and correctly after exposure.
Anyone bitten or scratched by wildlife or an animal acting strangely should immediately wash the wound with soap and water, or water alone, for 15 minutes.
The CDC recommends promptly contacting a medical provider or public health official for an assessment. The type of animal, its behavior, whether you can test or observe it, and the nature of the contact all help determine whether treatment is needed.
People should not try to capture a potentially rabid animal unless they can do so safely. Local animal control or health officials can assist.
Post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, treatment includes rabies vaccines and immune globulin for unvaccinated individuals. Though rabies treatments are not in short supply, improper administration leads to side effects, wasted resources, and steep costs averaging $11,000 to $14,000 per patient.
Around 100,000 Americans receive PEP annually. Common errors include incorrect injection sites, improper schedules, inadequate wound care, and unnecessary immunoglobulin administration. Pharmacy records through Sept. 2 show a 33 percent increase in rabies vaccine usage and a 76 percent surge in immune globulin usage compared to last year.
The same human rabies vaccine can be given before exposure, but it is generally recommended only for people at higher risk, such as veterinarians, animal-control workers, rabies laboratory workers and some travelers.
This pre-exposure vaccination does not eliminate the need for treatment after a possible exposure. A previously vaccinated person still needs two follow-up vaccine doses but generally does not need rabies immune globulin.
The CDC recommends keeping pets up to date on rabies vaccinations and away from wildlife whenever possible.
Anyone whose pet comes into contact with wildlife or a sick animal should contact a veterinarian and local public health or animal control officials for guidance.
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