Rabies Prevention

Rabies is a fatal, yet preventable, virus, primarily transmitted through the bite of an infected animal. After exposure to the virus, the incubation period can last weeks to months. The virus attacks the central nervous system causing seizures, paralysis, and eventually death.

Internationally, an estimate 70,000 people die from rabies annually. (1) Luckily, in the U.S., the number is fewer than 10. Globally, dog bites are associated with 95% of the cases. In the U.S., bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes are the main culprits, with bats being the largest reservoir of the disease.

The best way to prevent rabies is to vaccinate against it, even if your pet is indoors only. Cats are very good at darting out an open door, and bats are able to get inside the house through an opening as small as ¼ inch. If your pet is found killing or playing with a bat or eating the remains, it should be considered exposed until the bat tests negative. If you find a bat in your house, try not to approach it. You should contact animal control to collect the bat to have it tested. If you come in physical contact with the bat, you should have it tested and seek medical care.

In 2022, in the U.S., 222 cats were diagnosed with rabies. 47 of them were in Pennsylvania and 4 of them in Delaware. Nationally, 3,234 cases of rabies were diagnosed in wildlife with 271 of those cases in Pennsylvania. (2)

In Pennsylvania, it is the law that you have to have your pets vaccinated against rabies. Your cat or dog must be at least 12 weeks old to get the vaccine. Recommendations include vaccinating dogs, cats, ferrets, horses, and livestock that are in frequent contact with humans (petting zoos, exhibits, fairs).

If you have any questions about rabies and vaccinating against it, please contact your veterinarian.

(1) CDC Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control. MMWR Vol 60. No 6.

(2) Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Volume 262. Issue 11.