CDC · Friday, September 11, 2026
CDC warns of more animal rabies exposures this summer
The File desk · Sep. 11, 2026, 6:03 a.m. ET
Confirmed2 primary sources
Status
Confirmed from a CDC media statement dated Sept. 10, 2026. Live cdc.gov returned 403 this pass; an Internet Archive capture of the same URL was retrieved. The full Health Alert Network advisory text on emergency.cdc.gov was not re-fetched.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says animal bites and rabies shots are up. On Sept. 10 the agency posted a statement that it had issued a Health Alert Network advisory for clinicians, health departments, and the public after summer 2026 reports of more animal exposures and rabies post-exposure vaccinations across the country. The statement tells people to avoid mammals that look sick or act strangely, including wildlife, and to get medical care after bites or scratches.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says animal bites and rabies shots are up.
On Sept. 10 the agency posted a statement that it had issued a Health Alert Network advisory for clinicians, health departments, and the public.
The statement says that during the summer of 2026, reports of animal exposures and rabies post-exposure vaccinations increased across the country.
CDC tells people to avoid mammals that look sick or act strangely, including wildlife, and to get medical care after bites or scratches.
The statement points clinicians to the Health Alert Network advisory for detailed treatment guidance. That full advisory text on emergency.cdc.gov was not re-fetched in this pass. Live cdc.gov returned 403; the statement text is from an Internet Archive capture.
How we know
What is still unknown or disputed
- Full Health Alert Network advisory text was not re-fetched from emergency.cdc.gov in this pass. This file uses only claims on the open CDC statement page.
Primary sources
Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.
Source 1 · fetch incomplete
CDC Statement on Increases in Recent Animal Rabies Activity and Associated Human Exposures
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · September 10, 2026
Live page returned HTTP 403. See Internet Archive capture.
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2026/cdc-statement-on-increases-in-recent-animal-rabies-activity-and-associated-human-exposures.html
Source 2
CDC Statement on Increases in Recent Animal Rabies Activity and Associated Human Exposures (Internet Archive capture)
Internet Archive / Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · September 10, 2026
During the summer of 2026, reports of animal exposures and rabies post-exposure vaccinations have increased across the country. CDC issued a Health Alert Network health advisory to clinicians, health departments, and the public. Avoiding contact with sick-acting mammals and wildlife and seeking prompt medical care after potential bites or scratches can help prevent rabies.
https://web.archive.org/web/20260911012155/https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2026/cdc-statement-on-increases-in-recent-animal-rabies-activity-and-associated-human-exposures.html