Public Health
Rabies
 
In 2006, 49 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico tested over 113,000 animals and reported 6,940 cases of rabies in animals and three human cases to CDC; (Hawaii is the only state that is rabies free). The total number of reported cases increased by 8.2% from those reported in 2005 (6,418 cases)
 
ANIMAL # OF CASES PERCENT OF TOTAL CASES
Raccoons 2,615 37.7%
Bats 1,692 24.4%
Skunks 1,494 21.5%
Foxes 427 6.2%
Cats 318 4.6%
Cattle 82 s1.2%
Dogs 79 1.1%
Others -- 3.3%
Table 1. 2006 U.S. Cases of Rabies by Type of Animal. (Vet Med Today: Public Veterinary Medicine JAVMA, Vol 231, No. 4, August 15, 2007.)
 
Distribution of major rabies virus variants among wild terrestrial reservoirs in the United States and Puerto Rico from 2006 surveillance data. (Vet Med Today: Public Veterinary Medicine JAVMA, Vol 231, No. 4, August 15, 2007.)