RIDOH Highlights Success of Rabies Exposure Assessment Program

Published on Monday, September 28, 2026

In observance of World Rabies Day, September 28, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is highlighting the success of its rabies exposure assessment program, which connects Rhode Islanders to lifesaving rabies prevention and treatment while helping consumers, insurers, and taxpayers avoid millions of dollars in unnecessary healthcare costs each year. 

Rabies is a deadly viral disease that affects the central nervous system. Once symptoms of rabies appear, the disease is almost always fatal. However, rabies can be prevented when people who have been exposed receive appropriate post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) before symptoms develop. PEP may include rabies vaccine and, for people who have not previously been vaccinated, rabies immune globulin. 

RIDOH provides around-the-clock rabies exposure risk assessments for healthcare professionals and the public. RIDOH’s rabies control program staff evaluate the circumstances of an exposure and help determine whether PEP is medically indicated. RIDOH’s Rabies control program ensures people who need PEP are able to get it while avoiding unnecessary treatment for people who do not.  

“RIDOH’s centralized rabies exposure assessment, risk communication, patient counseling, and animal testing services contributed helps healthcare providers and patients make informed decisions about rabies vaccine, and helps people avoid the cost and waits associated with trips to the hospital,” said Director of Health Jerry Larkin, MD. "This is a win for patients, healthcare providers, and the healthcare system overall." 

A recent analysis published in the September/October 2026 issue of the Journal of Public Health Practice and Management examined Rhode Island’s centralized rabies control program from 2013 through 2022. During that period, reported animal bite rates increased by 43 bites per 100,000 people, while rabies PEP rates decreased by 29 treatments per 100,000 people. The analysis estimated that the RIDOH rabies control program prevented unnecessary PEP in approximately 1,800 to 2,300 people with animal bite exposures each year, associated with estimated savings of $5 million to $16 million annually in avoided healthcare costs. (For a previously unvaccinated person, the first visit consists of rabies vaccine plus rabies immune globulin, followed by additional vaccine doses, from 3 to 5 additional doses that are given over several visits.) 

On September 10, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) health advisory to inform clinicians, health departments, and the public about increases in recent animal rabies activity and associated human exposures nationwide. 

According to CDC’s health advisory, “From July through August 2026, CDC received 17% more rabies-related inquiries than during the same period in 2025, including reports of mass exposure events (e.g., involving more than one person). During this time frame, CDC also received reports from at least eight state health departments of increased rabies PEP use, PEP administration errors, or both. Each year, an estimated 1.4 million people in the United States seek medical care after animal contact and undergo evaluation, and approximately 100,000 people receive rabies PEP following a potential exposure. 

According to weekly pharmacy data as of September 2, 2026, utilization for the two rabies vaccines and the two rabies immunoglobulins licensed in the United States has increased by an estimated 33% and 76%, respectively, compared with the same time period last year.” 

Although there is currently no shortage of human rabies vaccine or human rabies immunoglobulin in the United States, it is important for clinicians to administer PEP appropriately. Unnecessary or incorrect PEP can result in additional doses of vaccine or HRIG, potential adverse effects, and avoidable healthcare costs.  A typical course of PEP can cost between $11,000 and $14,000 per person. Following rabies PEP administration guidance helps ensure that lifesaving vaccines are available for persons who need them and extraneous costs are avoided. 

During the summer of 2026, reports of animal exposures and rabies post-exposure vaccinations have increased nationwide. Rhode Island has seen an elevated number of rabid animals in 2026. A full list of specimen collection dates and locations may be found on RIDOH’s Rabies Data Dashboard online under “Animal Rabies Mapping”. The majority of these animals were raccoons and bats. Additionally, a rabid cat, coyote, skunk, and woodchuck have been found in Rhode Island this year.   

RIDOH and CDC recommend the following to prevent rabies:   

• Keep your distance from wildlife. Never approach animals who appear to be injured, sick, or dead, especially if you see animals during the day who are usually active at night (e.g., bats, raccoons, etc.). Contact your area’s animal control service for assistance when needed. 
• If you have pets, keep them up to date on rabies vaccines and away from wildlife when possible. 
• If you or your pets have been in contact with any wildlife or sick-acting animals, particularly if you've been bitten or scratched, do the following: 
  • Wash any wounds immediately with water and soap (or water alone) for 15 minutes. 
  • Talk with a clinician or public health professional about your risk and if you might need rabies-related care. 
  • Tell your doctor about the type of animal you encountered and if you noted any signs that the animal was not acting normally. 
  • If the animal that bit you was not your pet, ask the owner for proof that the animal is up to date on their rabies vaccination. 
  • If you can do so safely, capture or confine the animal and contact your area’s animal control officer or RIDOH for assistance. 
  • In some circumstances and in consultation with a veterinarian, observing an available animal might be a reasonable alternative to rabies testing. 

According to the World Health Organization, “This year’s World Rabies Day theme, ‘Stronger Together,’ highlights a simple truth: rabies elimination is only possible when we work together. Rabies elimination depends on interconnected action. Education, vaccination, surveillance, and legislation cannot work in isolation, they must function as part of one coordinated system.” 

For more information, visit health.ri.gov/rabies.