Rabies exposure incident reported
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
CDC reported 17% more rabies inquiries from July through August 2026 than in 2025.
The rise spans multiple states, and PEP dosing errors are complicating the response.
Background
The CDC issued a Health Alert Network advisory after receiving reports of increased human rabies exposures and rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) administration errors since July 2026. At least eight state health departments reported increased PEP use, errors, or both. Each year an estimated 1.4 million people in the U.S. seek medical care after animal contact and undergo evaluation. Several high-profile incidents, including a North Carolina petting zoo and bat exposures in California, have contributed to the rise.
How it unfolded
- Jul 2026CDC begins receiving reports of increased rabies exposures and PEP errors from multiple jurisdictions.
- Aug 27, 2026North Carolina officials first notified that four goats from Farm Adventures may have been exposed to rabies.
- Aug 28, 2026More than 320 people in North Carolina had received PEP, covering all state rabies exposures.
- Sep 3, 2026Michigan state data shows 48 infected animals—47 bats and one skunk—so far this year.
- Sep 4, 2026CNN reports nearly 300 people exposed to rabid goats at a North Carolina mobile petting zoo.
- Sep 5, 2026A bat tests positive for rabies in Livingston Manor, New York, the first confirmed human exposure incident this year involving a laboratory-verified diagnosis.
- Sep 8, 2026Three children in Humboldt County, California, are treated for rabies exposure after touching bats in two separate incidents.
- Sep 9, 2026North Carolina officials say nearly 350 people have been tested for rabies related to the goats, with treatment recommended for 263.
- Sep 10, 2026CDC issues a Health Alert Network advisory on the nationwide increase in rabies exposures and PEP administration errors.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- CDC urges immediate healthcare consultation after any animal exposure and warns of PEP administration errors.
- Public
- A North Carolina woman whose daughter's birthday party was exposed to rabid goats described guilt and shock at learning days later.
Still unverified
The exact cause of the nationwide increase in rabies exposures and PEP errors is not specified in the material. The fourth rabies death in 2024 had no information available. The location and time of the Michigan bat case were not disclosed.