Rabies exposure cases in Escambia, Santa Rosa counties are up. How to stay safe
Editor's note: This story has been updated to make it clearer that these are reports of rabies exposure.
Only three months into 2024, Florida has almost 1,500 reports rabies exposure. Broward County leads the state with 125 reports, and Marion County issued a warning to area residents that rabies is circulating local wildlife on Wednesday.
The Florida Department of Health reported 1,451 cases of possible rabies exposure this year at the time of publishing. Those numbers represent a 37.7% (1,054 reports) increase from the same timeframe last year.
According to the latest data from FDOH, raccoons were the largest number of carriers last year, and this year is no exception. A positive rabies test result from a raccoon found in Sewall's Point led health officials to warn that the virus is circulating in local wildlife.
FDOH officials have urged all residents and visitors to avoid contact with wild animals and ensure pets are vaccinated against the disease.
Escambia, Santa Rosa County reports of rabies exposure is up
Reports of rabies in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties are up, too, though the total number of reports isn't quite as high. Escambia County has received 56 reports of rabies exposure, up 36.6% from this time last year.
Santa Rosa County's rabies numbers are up 175%, though considerably smaller. So far, there have been 11 reports of rabies exposure in the county, up from four last year.
What is rabies?
Rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease, the Centers for Disease Control said.
It can spread to people and pets if they are bitten or scratched by a rabid animal or the virus is spread by exposure to an animal's saliva through broken skin, according to the National Library of Medicine.
What animals are most likely to carry rabies?
In the United States, rabies affects only mammals and is mostly found in wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes.
Contact with infected bats is the leading cause of human rabies deaths in the United States. At least seven out of 10 Americans who die from rabies in the U.S. were infected by bats, the CDC said. People may not recognize a bat scratch or bite, which can be very small.
What Florida counties have reported the highest number of rabies exposure?
Top 10 counties, since Jan. 1:
- Broward: 125
- Miami-Dade: 115
- Orange: 75
- Pasco: 74
- Polk: 73
- Palm Beach: 72
- Lee: 70
- St. Lucie: 59
- Volusia: 57
- Escambia: 56
Reports of rabies exposure in Florida 2024
- Alachua: 36
- Bay: 11
- Brevard: 31
- Charlotte: 2
- Citrus: 11
- Collier: 28
- Columbia: 1
- DeSoto: 2
- Dixie: 2
- Duval: 39
- Flagler: 2
- Franklin: 2
- Gadsden: 3
- Gilchrist: 3
- Hardee: 30
- Hendry: 15
- Hernando: 26
- Highlands: 8
- Hillsborough: 40
- Indian River: 10
- Jackson: 1
- Leon: 43
- Levy: 6
- Madison: 2
- Manatee: 19
- Marion: 49
- Martin: 13
- Monroe: 3
- Okaloosa: 10
- Okeechobee: 6
- Osceola: 25
- Pinellas: 40
- Putnam: 3
- Santa Rosa: 11
- Sarasota: 42
- Seminole: 39
- St. Johns: 32
- Sumter: 1
- Suwannee: 12
- Taylor: 4
- Wakulla: 1
- Walton: 4
- Washington: 2
Ages of rabies exposure in Florida so far in 2024
- Ages 0-4: 47
- Ages 5-9: 88
- Ages 10-14: 70
- Ages 15-19: 94
- Ages 20-24: 141
- Ages 25-29: 130
- Ages 30-34: 127
- Ages 35-39: 118
- Ages 40-44: 99
- Ages 45-49: 93
- Ages 50-54: 72
- Ages 55-59: 85
- Ages 60-64: 90
- Ages 65-69: 66
- Ages 70-74: 65
- Ages 75-79: 34
- Ages 80-84: 17
- Ages 85+: 10
How can you tell an animal has rabies?
You can’t tell if an animal has rabies by just looking at it; the only way to know for sure if an animal (or a person) has rabies is to perform laboratory testing, the CDC said.
Some things you can look for include:
- General sickness
- Problems swallowing
- Excessive drool or saliva
- An animal that is overly aggressive
- An animal that bites at imaginary objects (sometimes called “fly biting”)
- An animal that appears tamer than you would expect
- An animal that’s having trouble moving or may even be paralyzed
- A bat on the ground
Can rabies be treated?
If you’ve been in direct physical contact with any wildlife or unfamiliar animals, especially if you’ve been bitten or scratched, talk with a healthcare provider to determine your risk for rabies or other illnesses, the CDC said.
One important factor in deciding if whether you should receive rabies vaccination − post exposure prophylaxis − will be if the animal you were exposed to can be found and tested for rabies or held for observation.
If you need rabies vaccination, it should be started soon after exposure.
Immunization given early (preferably within 24 hours but certainly within 72 hours) can usually prevent the disease.
Symptoms of rabies in people
After being exposed to rabies, the virus has to travel to the brain before it can cause symptoms. This period may last for weeks to months.
Of special note: "Once clinical signs of rabies appear, the disease is nearly always fatal, and treatment is typically supportive, the CDC said, emphasizing that if you think you've been exposed to rabies, seek medical care immediately.
The first symptoms of rabies may be similar to the flu, including weakness or discomfort, fever or headache. There also may be discomfort, prickling or an itching sensation at the site of the bite. These symptoms may last for days.
Symptoms then progress to cerebral dysfunction, anxiety, confusion and agitation. As the disease progresses, the person may experience delirium, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, hydrophobia (fear of water) and insomnia.
How to protect your pet from rabies
Cats and dogs, and even livestock, can get rabies. Nearly all the pets and livestock that get rabies have not received vaccination or were not up to date on rabies vaccinations.
Most pets get rabies from having contact with wildlife.
Because laws require dogs to be vaccinated for rabies in the United States, dogs make up about 1% of rabid animals reported each year in the U.S.
That's not the case elsewhere, where exposure to rabid dogs is the cause of nearly all human rabies deaths worldwide, the CDC said.
Protect your pet by:
- Keeping rabies vaccinations up to date
- Keeping cats and ferrets inside and keep dogs under supervision
- Keeping pets away from wildlife
- Spaying or neutering pets
- Calling animal control to remove stray animals