Health officials urge caution during rabies outbreaks
Public health officials urged individuals to exercise caution around wildlife amid possible rabies outbreaks across 20 states.
In a news article from CNN, experts cited in the article detailed that rabies infections occur when individuals are exposed to the saliva of animals infected with a virus in the genus Lyssavirus through a bite, scratch or direct contact with the animal’s mucosa. Dogs, bats, raccoons, skunks, coyotes and foxes are all known to transmit the rabies virus; however, a large majority of cases involve wildlife.
Following exposure, individuals should seek immediate medical attention to receive postexposure prophylaxis, which involves wound cleaning and multiple vaccines over the course of three days to four weeks. The experts explained that untreated individuals may experience fever, headaches, body aches, discomfort at the site of the bite, brain and spinal cord inflammation, neurologic symptoms such as confusion and hallucinations, hydrophobia, agitation and death.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported six deaths from rabies since September 2024 and 14 new outbreaks. To minimize the risk of rabies, individuals traveling to regions known to host a higher population of infected animals as well as those in high-risk groups like workers who either handle the virus in laboratory settings or dead animals should consider vaccinating against the rabies virus.
Read more: CNN
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