Vetnews | September 2025 6 « BACK TO CONTENTS Insights into the occurrence of rabies viruses in multi-species animals based on diagnostic laboratory submissions Aurelle Yondo,1 Ben Enyetornye,1 Binu T. Velayudhan1 ABSTRACT Rabies is a fatal zoonotic disease caused by the rabies virus (RABV), primarily affecting the central nervous system of mammals. Understanding the epidemiology of animal rabies is critical for developing effective prevention and control strategies. This study aimed to analyse animal rabies cases received at a veterinary diagnostic laboratory in Georgia, USA, over 5 years (2019–2023), focusing on the most commonly infected species, seasonality trends, and geographical distributions. A total of 1,560 rabies-suspect cases, representing 21 species of animals, were tested using a direct fluorescent antibody test (DFAT). Of 1,560 cases, 5.6% (88/1560) were positive across 11 species, with domestic animals accounting for 17% (15/88) of rabies cases, whereas wildlife species exhibited a higher occurrence of 83% (73/88). Among wildlife, the affected species were raccoons (35.2% [31/88]), skunks (25% [22/88]), white-tailed deer (8% [7/88]), foxes (6.8% [6/88]), bats (4.5% [4/88]), bobcats (2.3% [2/88]), and great kudu (1.1% [1/88]). In domestic animals, the affected species included bovine (6.8% [6/88]), feline (5.7% [5/88]), caprine (2.3% [2/88]), and equine (2.3% [2/88]). Positive cases were predominantly detected in submissions from Georgia, with a few additional cases identified in neighbouring states and unknown locations. Furthermore, fall, spring, and summer seasons showed high infection rates compared with winter. Our findings highlight distinct seasonal trends and the significant burden of rabies among wildlife in the Southeastern United States. Editor Hyun Jin Kwun, Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA IMPORTANCE Rabies is a fatal zoonotic viral disease that affects the central nervous system of mammals, including humans. It is transmitted mainly through bites or scratches by infected animals such as dogs, bats, raccoons, and other wild animals. The present study analysed data on clinical specimens submitted to a veterinary diagnostic laboratory for the detection of rabies in domestic and wild animals for a period of 5 years. The study examined a total of 1,560 rabies-suspect cases, representing 21 species of animals tested using the standard direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) assay. Out of 1,560 cases, 5.6% were positive across 11 species, with domestic animals accounting for 17% and wild animals accounting for 83% of the total cases. Different species of wild animals showed a significantly higher incidence of rabies, highlighting the importance of wildlife in spreading rabies to domestic animals and the threat it poses to public health. Rabies is a life-threatening, progressive neurologic viral disease transmitted via the saliva of infected animals, usually through bites or scratches (1–3). It is caused by a bullet-shaped, single-stranded, non-segmented, negative-sense RNA virus belonging to the genus Lyssavirus and the Rhabdoviridae family (4). The rabies virus (RABV) primarily targets the central nervous system of humans and animals, leading to encephalitis with fatal symptoms, including hyperexcitability, autonomic dysfunction, hydrophobia, and aerophobia after an average incubation period of 20–90 days (3, 5, 6). There are rare cases with longer incubation periods, extending up to years, depending on factors such as exposure site, viral load, and host immune response (7, 8). It is a multiple-host pathogen that affects all warm-blooded animals, but dogs and wildlife serve as significant reservoirs for the virus (9, 10). Rabies represents a significant public health threat on every continent except Antarctica (11), with an estimated 60,000 human cases reported annually (12, 13). Although the global burden of rabies seems to have declined over the past three decades, the disease remains a persistent problem for many countries, including developed nations (14). In wildlife, the rabies virus continues to circulate, frequently exposing unvaccinated domestic animals, especially dogs, making control incredibly challenging (15), underscoring the 2030 dog-mediated rabies elimination goals (16). In the USA, approximately 4,000 animal rabies cases are reported annually, with over 90% occurring in wildlife such as skunks, bats, raccoons, and foxes (17). In 2020, 4,090 wildlife and 389 domestic animals tested positive for rabies in the country (18). Human rabies cases in the Americas and Caribbean have been linked to sporadic spillover from wildlife, as widespread preventive measures, such as vaccination, have been implemented for companion animals (19, 20). Each year, more than 4 million Americans report animal bites, with approximately 800,000 seeking medical attention (17). Humans exposed to rabies-positive animals often face long quarantine periods and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), causing discomfort and financial burdens to many families (21). Moreover, PEP is expensive and associated with adverse reactions (22). The estimated annual direct and indirect costs of PEP are $1.7 billion and $1.3 billion, respectively (23). This suggests that improving rabies control in wildlife through oral vaccination programs, combined with routine vaccination of companion animals and livestock (24, 25) at a lower cost, could alleviate the burden on animal owners. Given these challenges, constantly updating the epidemiological trends of animal rabies cases submitted to veterinary diagnostic laboratories is crucial to guide the structuring and implementation of preventive and control measures in animals and provide insights
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