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Bat in your house? Rabid goat at the petting zoo? If exposed to rabies, what do you do?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises seeking immediate emergency care after potential rabies exposure, where medical personnel will clean wounds and administer a four-dose vaccine series plus human rabies immune globulin .
CDC data shows a 5.1% increase in animal rabies cases between 2022 and 2023, while officials observed abnormally high rates this year in Idaho and North Carolina.
Tanya LeRoith, director of Virginia Tech's Veterinary Teaching Hospital, urges keeping pets vaccinated to prevent transmission, while experts advise against feeding or rescuing wildlife, as strange animal behavior can signal rabies.
Medicare, Medicaid, and most insurance companies typically cover the vaccine series if a provider documents exposure, with HRIG injections administered near the wound to block the virus from reaching the nervous system.
If you encounter a wild animal behaving strangely but avoid physical contact, seek guidance from local health departments, as emergency physicians can assess risks even when an animal's rabies status remains unclear.

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