With a significant increase in rabies exposures this year, Rodney Rohde, PhD, talks about seeking medical attention after animal interactions as well as clinical treatment when people have been bit or scratched.
News|Articles|September 30, 2026
FAQ: Rising Rabies Exposure Calls Put PEP Decisions Back in Focus
Author(s)John Parkinson, Justin Louis
Following World Rabies Day and a CDC health advisory on a 17% rise in exposure-related calls, Rodney E. Rohde, PhD, explains what the increase means, what people should do when they have an animal bite or scratch, and how clinicians should assess risk and administer post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
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World Rabies Day, observed this past Monday, September 28, arrives on the heels of a Health Alert Network (HAN) advisory issued earlier this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The advisory followed a 17% increase in calls to the agency this summer about potential human rabies exposures in the US. Rabies remains nearly universally fatal once the virus reaches the central nervous system, making prompt recognition of exposures and timely PEP the only reliable defense.
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