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Is rabies a common disease?
In the United States
in 2001, there were 7,437 cases of rabies reported in animals. Most
were in wild animals. One case was reported in a human.
Rabies occurs in almost every state. Hawaii is the only state that
has not had a single native case of rabies in animals or humans.
As you can see by this map, rabies is most common in
the eastern United States.
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To
see the number and types of rabies cases for a particular state, click
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Humans and rabies
Most of the human deaths
in this country since 1980 were caused by a strain of rabies associated with bats. The
number of deaths is small because people who are bitten by animals often get the
anti-rabies shots. As many as 40,000 people each year in the United States are
exposed to animals that might have rabies, and these people receive the shots to prevent
the disease. The number of human
rabies deaths is low in the United States compared with the rest of the world. Each year,
about 30,000 to 50,000 people in the world die of rabies. These deaths occur because
people did not get vaccinations after being bitten by a rabid animal. Many occur in
Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Millions of people around the world get the anti-rabies
shots after an animal bite. Dogs are the biggest source of animal bites leading to rabies
shots worldwide.
Rabies in Animals
In the United States, rabies in domestic animals (like dogs, cats, and cattle) has
declined dramatically since the 1950s. This decrease is mainly due to rabies vaccination
programs. Today, pet ferrets can also be vaccinated against the
disease. However, overall rabies cases in the United States have been increasing
since the 1970s. This is mainly because of outbreaks of rabies among wildlife.
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CDC's Rabies Web Page
That's Just for Kids!
Viral and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch (VRZB)
Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases (DVRD)
National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Mailing address:
Rabies Section MS G-33
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road, NE
Atlanta, GA 30333
(404)639-1050
URL: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies
This page
last reviewed February 6, 2003
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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