# Wondering about a spate of local rabies cases in wild animals **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 25, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wondering-about-a-spate-of-local-rabies-cases-in-wild-animals/656688 "2013-04-25T18:38:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wondering-about-a-spate-of-local-rabies-cases-in-wild-animals/656688/1 "2013-04-25T18:38:22Z")
I hadn’t been following the local paper for quite a while, so I don’t know if this a new development or if they have an explanation, but I think there have been 3 or 4 reports of rabid animals in the immediate area in the past few days. By this area, I mean maybe 25 square miles. So that’s a lot of space. But it’s also virtually all developed with just some set aside areas, parks, small farms, and so on. From my perspective I think they’ve probably all been within a 5 mile radius. And I don’t think they were all in the same area so, no ‘hot spot’, but I won’t swear to that. Any ideas what’s going on? Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wondering-about-a-spate-of-local-rabies-cases-in-wild-animals/656688/2 "2013-04-25T19:13:40Z")
wild ass guess: rabies is contagious and easily passed to unvaccinated animals via biting. There are periodic outbreaks in my area especially in raccoons and bats. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wondering-about-a-spate-of-local-rabies-cases-in-wild-animals/656688/3 "2013-04-25T19:20:47Z")
Probably raccoons are the source. They are a reservoir of rabies, and they are everywhere even in very developed areas. Even in large cities. > **[Rabies in Raccoons](https://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/2003/summer/rabies.shtml)** > > Rabies in Raccoons ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wondering-about-a-spate-of-local-rabies-cases-in-wild-animals/656688/4 "2013-04-25T22:26:19Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Probably raccoons are the source. > > They are a reservoir of rabies, and they are everywhere even in very developed areas. Even in large cities. > > [Rabies in Raccoons](https://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/2003/summer/rabies.shtml) Yeah, about 15 or so years ago racoons in my county were decimated by rabies (nature fixing itself…) ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wondering-about-a-spate-of-local-rabies-cases-in-wild-animals/656688/5 "2013-04-25T23:20:01Z")
I think rabies would cease to exist without bats. Bats are communal and will quickly pass it to one another. They usually die or hit the ground when they become sick and are picked up by raccoons, skunks and foxes primarily. For some reason cats don’t seem to be affected that I am aware of. We have recently had an outbreak here in So Cal as well.