Rabies Outbreak Across the USA: Rising Wildlife Cases Spark Public Health Concerns, Here's What You Should Do

Rabies is one of the deadliest but most preventable viral diseases, and it is making an alarming resurgence in multiple regions of the United States. Public health officials have cited new outbreaks among wildlife populations, making them concerned about public safety and the necessity of caution.

According to the reports, rabies activity has returned to New York's Suffolk and Nassau counties after years with not one reported incidence. Alerts have been put out in other areas as well, such as Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and states Alaska, Arizona, California, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, North Carolina, Oregon, and Vermont.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) puts the number of animal rabies cases at about 4,000 a year in the U.S., most of which are attributed to bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. The reports also confirmed that at least six human rabies deaths were reported in the last 12 months, which is the most in years.

Experts attribute the increase to reasons like declining wildlife habitats, which push animals into closer proximity to human populations, and enhanced disease surveillance that has spotted cases earlier.

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How This Can Be A Nationwide Threat

Rabies exists in all states of the U.S. except Hawaii, with bats still being the most frequent source of human infection. Although dogs used to be the primary carriers, mass vaccination campaigns have significantly reduced the risk from household pets. However, the ongoing existence of rabies among wildlife remains a significant public health threat.

What is Rabies?

Rabies is a virus that attacks the central nervous system of mammals, including humans. When symptoms develop, the disease is nearly always fatal. But it can be prevented by vaccination, in animals as well as humans who have been exposed to the virus.

How Does Rabies Infect?

The rabies virus is transmitted most commonly through the saliva of an infected animal, typically through biting. The virus, if once introduced into the body, moves along nerve pathways to the brain, where it inflames. 

Initial symptoms of rabies are similar to the flu, including fever, headache, weakness, but it rapidly develop into neurological symptoms like confusion, agitation, hallucinations, and swallowing difficulties. Without prompt post-exposure treatment, the disease is nearly always fatal.

How To Stay Protected From Rabies

Health authorities encourage individuals to:

• Stay away from wild animals, particularly bats and raccoons.
• Vaccinate their pets regularly.
• Get medical attention as soon as there is possible exposure.

The recent spike in cases is a grim reminder that rabies, although uncommon among humans, is an avoidable and serious disease. Public education and early vaccination are the best protection against this fatal disease.