Rabies Cases Prompt Nationwide Health Advisory: What NJ Residents Need To Know

The CDC is flagging a nationwide spike in rabies exposures, with rabies-related inquiries up 17 percent this past July and August compared to last year, and New Jersey has already recorded 75 animal rabies cases through June. If you or someone you know is bitten or scratched by wildlife or a strange-acting animal, wash the wound with soap and water for 15 minutes and contact a medical provider right away, since rabies is nearly always fatal once symptoms appear but is preventable with prompt treatment. Raccoons, bats, skunks, and foxes are the usual suspects in NJ, but any mammal can carry the virus.