Kansas health officials are warning residents and health care providers about an increase in encounters with animals that may carry rabies, with bats accounting for much of the concern.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued an advisory Sept. 15 after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported increases in rabies exposures and treatment nationwide.
Rabies is nearly 100% fatal once symptoms develop, but it can be prevented if treatment is started soon enough after an exposure.
Treatment, known as post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, can include rabies immune globulin and a series of vaccine shots.
Health officials are urging doctors and health departments to carefully assess possible exposures before beginning treatment. A risk assessment considers what type of animal was involved, whether rabies is common in that species, how the contact occurred, whether the animal appeared sick or behaved abnormally, and the type and severity of any bite or scratch.
Nationally, about 1.4 million people each year seek medical care following animal contact and are evaluated for possible rabies exposure. About 100,000 receive post-exposure treatment.
Those numbers appear to be rising. The CDC reported a 17% increase in rabies-related inquiries during July and August compared with the same period in 2025. At least eight state health departments also reported increased use of rabies post-exposure assessments.
Pharmacy data through Sept. 2 showed use of the two rabies vaccines licensed in the United States was up an estimated 33% from the same period last year, while use of rabies immune globulin increased 76%.
Kansas Cases Include A Rabid Kitten
Wild animals remain the primary source of rabies, particularly bats and skunks, but domestic animals can become infected too.
KDHE data through June 10 showed nine animals had tested positive for rabies in Kansas this year: six skunks, one cow, one dog and one bat. At that point, 140 cats had been tested and none were positive.
But a Kansas cat case was confirmed later in the summer.
In August, a 2½-month-old kitten at the Allen County Animal Rescue Facility near LaHarpe tested positive for rabies after developing neurological symptoms. The kitten bit a shelter staff member, who began rabies post-exposure treatment, and the shelter temporarily closed while health officials investigated other possible exposures.
There have been no human rabies cases reported in Kansas this year.
KDHE says Kansans should avoid contact with wildlife and animals that appear sick or are behaving unusually. Anyone bitten or scratched by a potentially rabid animal should immediately wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and contact a health care provider or local health department.
Bat encounters deserve particular attention because bites can be small and difficult to detect. Anyone who has direct contact with a bat — or finds one in a room with someone who may not be able to reliably say whether contact occurred — should seek advice from a health professional.
Pet owners are also encouraged to keep cats and dogs current on rabies vaccinations and keep pets away from wildlife whenever possible.