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Every year, very few people die of rabies in the United States, but of this total, at least 70% were stung by bats.
Yes, bats, and the latest statistics released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on June 12 confirm that bats – not dogs – are the leading cause of rabies deaths in the country. In addition to bats and dogs, other rabies carriers are foxes, skunks and raccoons.
The elimination of dogs as carriers of rabies is one of the great successes of the US public health program of the past 80 years. The variant of canine rabies virus was first targeted in 1947 and completely eradicated from the United States in 2004.
The CDC described this triumph as "one of the most important success stories of the 20th century in public health".
Dog rabies, however, remains a major risk in countries outside the United States, particularly those in Africa and Asia, says the CDC report. At least 36 US residents have died of canine rabies since 1960.
In 2015, the CDC learned that bats outperformed raccoons in animals for which rabies was positive. There has also been an increase in bat mbad exposures, which occurs when 10 or more people are exposed to a potentially rabid bat. This event occurs most often when bats live in houses, dormitories or campgrounds.
People should try to avoid bats, said Emily Pieracci, veterinary epidemiologist at the CDC in Atlanta. She said that a bat that does not leak humans could be enraged.
"A normal, healthy bat will not let you touch it," she said.
Pieracci also warned people against the dangers of approaching wild animals.
"You can not tell if an animal has rabies just by looking at it," she said.
Rabies remains active in nature. It continues to infect bats, coyotes, raccoons, skunks and foxes. Current US Department of Agriculture (USDA) rabies control measures focus on vaccinating coyotes, foxes and raccoons.
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