Rabies in Florida: What to know

Rabies, caused by rabies virus, is a zoonotic viral disease that causes acute and severe brain swelling in humans and other mammals. The virus can spread to people and mammals through the bites and scratches of an infected, warm-blooded animal. Rabies can cause severe disease and death if patients don’t receive appropriate and urgent post-exposure treatment, also known as post-exposure prophylaxis or PEP, after rabies exposure before symptoms begin.

Rabies basics

Rabies has been historically referred to as hydrophobia, or fear of water, because its victims panic when offered liquids to drink. This panic is driven by paralysis of the esophagus, so the patient can’t swallow. Early symptoms can include fever and abnormal sensations at the site of exposure, which are followed by nausea, vomiting, violent movements, uncontrolled excitement, fear of water, an inability to move parts of the body, confusion and/or loss of consciousness. Once symptoms appear, the result is almost always death, with the exception of a few survivors given experimental treatments.

Rabies is caused by lyssaviruses, a genus of viruses including the rabies virus and Australian bat lyssavirus. The name rabies is derived from the Latin “rabies,” meaning “madness.” Nearly all human rabies exposures were fatal before Louis Pasteur and Émile Roux developed a vaccine in 1885. Their initial vaccine was produced from infected rabbits, with the virus in nerve tissue weakened by drying for five to 10 days. The human diploid cell rabies vaccine began use in 1967.

Rabies in Florida

Rabies virus exists in wildlife in Florida, such as raccoons and bats, and can be transmitted to unvaccinated pets, posing a significant risk to pet owners and their families. These animals often transmit rabies through bites. Legally, dogs, cats and ferrets must be vaccinated against rabies in Florida. Here, outdoor cats are most frequently affected because they are less likely to receive regular vaccinations. Rabid animals may exhibit unusual behaviors: they can become aggressive and attack without provocation or appear unusually tame. They may also have difficulty eating, drinking, swallowing and are frequently drooling due to an inability to swallow saliva. Signs of rabies also include staggering or paralysis.

In 2025, the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Epidemiology tracked 114 cases from various mammals, with raccoons and bats accounting for 43 and 42 cases, respectively. In 2024, 110 cases were reported. Over the past 20 years, case-number totals have declined. Raccoons and bats are primary carriers of rabies in Florida, where the virus persists and remains stable within their populations. If infected, other mammals such as otters, bobcats, skunks and foxes can also transmit rabies to humans, pets and livestock through bites or scratches.

Rabies transmission

When an animal is infected with rabies, the virus is present in its saliva and can be transmitted to another animal or person, typically via a bite. Saliva from an infected animal can also spread rabies if it contacts the eyes, mouth, nose or nervous tissues. Globally, 99% of rabies-related human deaths result from dog bites or scratches. In the Americas, bat bites are the leading source of rabies infections in humans, with fewer than 5% caused by dogs. Rodents are rarely infected with rabies.

The interval between contracting the disease and the onset of symptoms typically ranges from one to three months, but it can be as short as a week or as long as a year. The duration depends on how far the virus must travel along the peripheral nerves to reach the central nervous system.

Symptoms of rabies

For rabies, the time between infection and symptom onset, known as the incubation period, ranges from 10 days to seven years. The average incubation period is three to 12 weeks.

If bitten by a mammal, call your local county health department or animal control agency with the description and location of the animal. The animal will either be quarantined for 10 days or be tested for rabies. If the animal is deceased, be careful not to damage the head and avoid further contact. The treatment window closes once symptoms begin to appear.

Fear of water, or hydrophobia, is the most common symptom. Other symptoms may include:

• Drooling
• Headache
• Seizures
• Sensitive bite area
• Mood changes
• Nausea and vomiting
• Loss of feeling in an area of the body
• Loss of muscle function
• Fever
• Muscle spasms
• Numbness and tingling
• Painful bite area
• Restlessness
• Difficulty swallowing
• Hallucinations

If bitten by a mammal:

• Immediately scrub the wound with plenty of soap and running water for five to 10 minutes.
• Try to obtain a complete description of the animal and determine its location so it can be captured by animal control for quarantine or rabies testing.
• Go to your health care provider or the nearest emergency room.

Populations most vulnerable to rabies infections

In the U.S., the risk of contracting rabies virus is low. Those most at risk are those who regularly interact with wildlife, such as sportsmen and women. Pet owners are also at higher risk due to the increased likelihood that their pets will encounter wild or unvaccinated animals. Family members of pet owners, by proxy, are at an elevated risk for this same reason. Bats, raccoons and small mammals may enter homes, yards and workspaces, increasing the risk of human or pet exposure.

Furbearer trappers should take precautions to prevent bites or scratches from live animals. When handling dead animals or raw wild game meat, wear gloves and handle sharp tools carefully. Thoroughly clean knives, other tools and your hands with hot soap and water after finishing. A cut from a contaminated knife during skinning is considered an exposure. If exposed, save the carcass head and contact your county health department, which may test the animal for rabies if necessary.

Rabies diagnosis

If bitten by an animal, clean the wound well with soap and water and seek professional medical help. It is crucial to gather as much information about an animal that has bitten you as possible. Call the local animal control authorities to safely capture the animal. A test called immunofluorescence is used to examine brain tissue after an animal has died to determine if the animal had rabies.

A healthcare provider will examine the bite area, clean and treat the wound. They will then determine, based on the provided information, whether the encounter with an animal constitutes as rabies exposure. If it is considered an exposure, then PEP will be administered. If the patient is already showing symptoms, the same immunofluorescence test used in animals can be performed to check for rabies in humans, using a piece of skin from the neck. The provider may also look for the rabies virus in saliva or cerebrospinal fluid, although these tests are less sensitive and may need to be repeated. A spinal tap may be performed to look for signs of infection in the spinal fluid and determine whether the virus has infiltrated the central nervous system. Other tests may include an MRI or CT scan of the head.

Rabies treatment

The goal of this treatment is to manage the bite wound and evaluate the risk of rabies infection. Immunization and treatment for potential rabies exposure should be administered as soon as possible, within 24 hours of the animal encounter, if possible. If rabies risk exists, a preventive vaccine is administered, usually in five doses over 28 days. While antibiotics don’t affect the rabies virus, they may be prescribed to prevent bacterial infection at the bite site.

The rabies PEP regimen involves administration of human rabies immune globulin, or HRIG, which is a biologic product prepared from human donors hyper-immunized with rabies vaccine. HRIG is given only once, and a series of four 1 mL rabies vaccinations. HRIG and the first vaccination are given on the first day of treatment, designated Day 0, and three additional rabies vaccinations are given on Days 3, 7 and 14.

Immunocompromised persons receive a fifth vaccination on Day 28 and should be tested for a natural immune response known as seroconversion 7 to 14 days following completion of the PEP regimen. Seroconversion is the period when the body transitions from an initial infection or vaccination to producing detectable levels of antibodies in the blood. For this regimen, pregnancy is not considered to be an immunocompromising condition.

Patients who have previously received either pre- or post-exposure rabies prophylaxis should receive only two rabies vaccine boosters following an exposure, given on Days 0 and 3.

There are no known cures once symptoms of rabies develop. The illness is nearly always fatal, though a few cases of survival with experimental treatments have been reported. Usually, once symptoms appear, survival is very unlikely, and death from respiratory failure typically occurs within seven days of symptom onset.

Rabies prevention

To prevent a rabies infection, adhere to the following:

• Avoid direct contact between humans and domestic animals and wild animals.
• Have a veterinarian vaccinate pets and at-risk livestock. Follow the veterinarian’s instructions for revaccination.
• Do not allow pets to run free. Follow leash laws by keeping pets and livestock secured on your property.
• Never feed wild or stray animals, feed pets indoors and avoid attracting wild animals with outdoor food sources.
• Support animal control in efforts to reduce feral and stray animal populations.
• Provide pre-exposure prophylaxis for people in high-risk professions, such as animal control and veterinary personnel, laboratory workers and those working with wildlife.
• Bat-proof homes and buildings.

If your animal is attacked by a wild, stray or unvaccinated animal:

• DO NOT examine your pet for injuries without wearing gloves.
• DO wash your pet with soap and water to remove saliva from the attacking animal.
• DO NOT let your animal come into contact with other animals or people until the situation can be handled by animal control or county health department staff.

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