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News
Rabies is surging this summer, and the CDC wants clinicians to pay attention. The agency fielded 17% more rabies-related inquiries in July–August 2026 compared to the same period last year, with at least eight states reporting increased use — and errors — in administering postexposure prophylaxis (PEP). With PEP costing up to $14,000 per course and supply already tight, the CDC is urging clinicians to reserve treatment for true exposures only.
Rabies is having an unusually active summer in the US, and the CDC has issued a formal Health Alert to remind clinicians how — and when — to act. From July through August 2026, the agency received 17% more rabies-related inquiries than during the same stretch in 2025, with notable mass-exposure events including rabid beavers attacking visitors at two Maryland state parks and nearly 300 people potentially exposed to infected goats at a North Carolina mobile petting zoo.
The surge in exposures has driven a sharp rise in postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) use, but also a troubling uptick in administration errors. The CDC is reminding clinicians that PEP protocols differ based on a patient's prior vaccination history — unvaccinated individuals need both a vaccine and human rabies immune globulin (HRIG), while previously vaccinated patients do not require HRIG. PEP is also not recommended when the suspect animal can be safely observed for 10 days or when test results are negative.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Rabies is invariably fatal once symptoms appear, making timely and accurate PEP administration life-saving. But with only two vaccine manufacturers, chronic supply constraints, and high costs, overuse or misuse of PEP poses real risks to both patients and the broader public health system. Clinicians need to get this right.
