Bats Pose Highest Rabies Risk in U.S., Warns CDC

Bats Pose Highest Rabies Risk in U.S., Warns CDC

The CDC is warning citizens that bats pose the highest risk rabies risk in the U.S.

“Reducing rabies in dogs is a remarkable achievement of the U.S. public health system, but with this deadly disease still present in thousands of wild animals, it’s important that Americans are aware of the risk. Rabies is almost universally fatal, and preventable if people know what to do if bitten or scratched by an animal,” said CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, M.D.

Rabies and Bats

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According to the CDC, bats are responsible for roughly 7 in 10 rabies deaths among people who catch rabies in the U.S.

“Bats play a critical role in our ecosystem and it is important people know that most of the bats in the U.S. are not rabid. The problem comes when people try to handle bats they think are healthy because you really can’t tell if an animal has rabies just by looking at it. The best advice is to avoid contact with bats – and other wildlife – to protect yourself from rabies,” said Emily Pieracci, D.V.M., a CDC veterinarian and lead author of the Vital Signs.

Rabid dogs overseas are the second leading cause of rabies deaths in Americans; people can have contact with rabid dogs while traveling in other countries where dog rabies is still common.

Rabies in the U.S.

During the past 80 years, the animals linked to human rabies cases in the US have shifted dramatically – from dogs to bats and other wildlife – but it remains just as deadly.

Rabies is 99 % fatal, but also 100 % preventable as long as people receive post-exposure prophylaxis before symptoms begin.