Bats beat dogs as the leading cause of rabies deaths in the United States.

In the United States, the landscape of rabies transmission has evolved over the past 80 years.

Rabies deaths from dog bites and scratches have decreased, and wild animal deaths are now more responsible. Bats cause about 70% of deaths among Americans infected with rabies, says the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention in a report released June 12.

In 2015, the CDC found that bats outperformed raccoons in animals for which rabies was positive. The agency has also seen a slight increase in the number of bat mass exposures, when 10 or more people are exposed to bats that may be enraged. This happens most often when bats live in houses, dormitories or campgrounds.

Overseas contact with rabid dogs is the second leading cause of rabies deaths among Americans. People often think that infected dogs act aggressively, fleeing and barking and trying to attack people. But infected dogs can also be shy and sting again, said Emily Pieracci, veterinary epidemiologist at the CDC in Atlanta. "You can not know if an animal has rabies just by looking at it."

People should try to stay away from bats, Pieracci says. A bat that does not run away from humans can be enraged. "A healthy bat will not let you touch it," she says.

In the United States, rabies cases fell as a result of a massive dog vaccination campaign in the 1950s. But the disease remains active in nature, infecting coyotes, raccoons, skunks and foxes. in addition to bats. At present, the US Department of Agriculture's rabies control measures focus on vaccinating coyotes, foxes and raccoons.