Officials increase rabies warnings across the US after people in multiple states are attacked by rabid racoons and bats

Officials are warning Americans to be on the alert for rabies-infected animals amid a spate of attacks in some parts of the country.

This month, a rabid raccoon attacked two dogs and rabid bats were found in two separate houses in Missouri.  

Last month, a stray cat with rabies attacked a person in Staten Island, New York, while in Massachusetts a rabid coyote attacked two people in a park.

And earlier this year, another raccoon with rabies attacked theme park goers in Pennsylvania in March, and in February, a Rhode Island hiker had to strangle a rabid coyote as it tried to claw at him and his dog.

There are signs that in some areas of the country there are more rabid animals than normal, with health officials raising concerns in particular over bats.

Despite the rise in rabid animals, officials have not reported that rabies infections in humans are increasing.

Warning over rabies, health officials in South Carolina said: ‘It is critical to know that people, especially children, can be bitten by a bat and not know it. That is because bats have tiny teeth.’

Fewer than 10 people are infected with the disease every year, statistics show, with most infections prevented by a shot people are given after being exposed to suspected-rabid animals that prevents the virus from infecting them.

Those suspected of being infected should receive one dose within 24 hours, and then another three shots on days three, seven and 14 after their first inoculation. 

Rabies is more than 99 percent fatal. 

Dr Thomas Moore, an infectious diseases expert in Kansas, told DailyMail.com that in recent years he has seen more people who are worried about rabies — but not more cases.

‘It is very rare for anyone to get diagnosed with rabies,’ he said, ‘ and when it happens, it is sensational — people will hear about it’.

‘Normally, what happens is if there is an unprovoked animal attack then people get worried about it, and they may get the rabies vaccine.’

Unprovoked animal attacks are a warning sign of rabies because the disease causes animals to approach and be aggressive with others of any species, including people.

Dr Moore said he had three calls so far this year in relation to rabies, which is normal for this time of year.

Overall, more than 90 percent of rabies cases nationally are linked to exposure to wild animals — with about a third linked to bats and another third to raccoons.

A bat that is active during the day, for example, found on the ground, or appears to be unable to fly should treated as if it has rabies, Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) officials said.

People catch the virus from the saliva of infected animals that gets into open wounds.

‘If you have been bitten by any animal, seek immediate medical attention,’ the IDPH stated in an advisory in May.

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‘Bite wounds can become infected and if the animal is high risk for rabies preventive treatment must begin quickly,’ they noted.

Additionally, whenever possible, officials said residents should ‘not kill or release the bat before calling your doctor or local health department to help determine if you could have been exposed to rabies and need preventive treatment.’ 

A captured specimen can help local health officials decide the course of treatment for those exposed, they added. 

Many may not realize they have been infected, with early warning signs of the disease — flu-like symptoms and unexplained tingling — taking up to three months to appear.

Within a week of these emerging, however, patients progress to the fatal form of the disease — where it attacks the brain and spinal cord causing seizures, hallucinations and excessive salivation.

Nearly all patients who develop a rabies infection die from the disease, which has a death rate of 99.9 percent.

But in rare cases, several have survived after doctors placed them in a medically-induced coma. The first person to survive the disease was Jeanna Giese, from Wisconsin, who was bitten by a bat in a church in 2004.

Issuing warnings over rabies, officials in North Carolina said they had seen a rise in calls from people who had seen sick raccoons.

‘Contact with wild animals is the main way people, pets and livestock get exposed to rabies,’ they said.

‘You can lower the chance of rabies exposure for you and your pets by avoiding contact with wild animals and taking simple precautions.’

In Missouri, officials are warning over bats being infected with rabies and reminding people to avoid direct contact with wildlife.

The warnings were particularly urgent, given the recent emergence of baby bats — which may hang around homes raising the risk of infection.