CDC rabies advisory follows beaver attacks, petting zoo exposures amid uncertainty

Meghan Davis calls unusual rabies incidents ‘a little bit of bad luck’

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory on September 10 “in response to recent reports of increases in human exposures to rabid or possibly rabid animals,” The Guardian reported. The advisory follows a string of unusual encounters between humans and rabid animals, including beaver attacks in Maryland and the exposure of hundreds to goats at a North Carolina petting zoo.

In recent months, rabid beavers have attacked three people in Maryland, news reports cited by The Guardian indicate. In one incident, a 13-year-old was swimming at a state park when a beaver attacked him. The boy survived but required three surgeries on his chest and hands to repair nerve damage.

In a separate case, a wild skunk entered a baby goats’ pen at a farm in Harmony, North Carolina, in July, CNN reported. Months later, hundreds of people interacted with the goats at a petting zoo; at least some of the animals had rabies. The Guardian reported that the goats had not yet been old enough to be vaccinated. Local health departments monitored those who had contact with the animals, and hundreds received post-exposure prophylaxis treatment. No related deaths have been reported.

The CDC recorded a measurable increase in public concern alongside the incidents. From July to August, the agency received 17% more rabies-related inquiries — including reports of mass exposure events — compared with the same period the prior year. The agency also received reports from state health departments of increased administration of post-exposure prophylaxis treatments after possible rabies exposure.

Experts interviewed by The Guardian stopped short of declaring a rise in rabies prevalence. “I think what we are seeing is a little bit of bad luck,” said Meghan Davis, an associate professor of environmental health and engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The Guardian noted that beavers rarely get rabies.

The advisory is the latest signal that a disease which has become uncommon in the U.S. still warrants public attention. Hundreds of Americans used to die each year from rabies before vaccines and animal control programs reduced the toll to fewer than 10 deaths annually, according to the CDC. The disease remains almost universally fatal once symptoms develop.

Zak Mertz, CEO of the New England Wildlife Center, framed the heightened news coverage as a public health benefit. “Any time that the subject gets good coverage and people can learn a little bit about how they can be safe, I think that is a win for public health,” he said.

Tonji Durant, a retired CDC epidemiologist, told The Guardian her sister’s 2011 death in South Carolina illustrates what can happen when communication fails. Her sister, Ivy, called her local animal control office to report bats in her home; the officials did not provide guidance on protecting herself. Months later, she developed flu-like symptoms. A rabies test came back positive — but by then, treatment options were limited.

“The older you get, the more you miss your siblings,” Durant said, attributing her sister’s death to a preventable communication gap. “Communication is really critical. Clinicians working with state and local health departments; communities working with state and local health departments.”

Public health guidance in the wake of possible exposure is straightforward. Those bitten by a potentially rabid animal should wash the wound thoroughly and immediately seek medical attention, Davis said. “Don’t wait; seek help,” she said. People who worry they may have had contact with a rabid animal should contact their state health department or a healthcare provider, Mertz said.

Pet vaccination remains a central preventive measure. “Because [rabies] has largely been under control,” Davis said, “it doesn’t always reach the public eye.”