JUNE 12, 2019

CDC: Bats Now Leading Cause of U.S. Fatal Rabies Cases

By Tom Rosenthal

Bites and scratches from bats infected with rabies are now the leading cause of rabies deaths among people in the United States, while rabid dogs that American travelers encounter overseas are the second-leading cause of rabies fatalities, the CDC announced in a Vital Signs report released today (MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2019 Jun 12. [Epub ahead of print]).

Although the overall bat population in the United States is declining, bats are responsible for approximately seven in 10