Rabies Prevention and Vaccination

Fall Rabies Clinic:  September 25, 2025, at the Health & Public Services Building (403 S. 7^th St., Denton) 5PM-7PM**

**THIS IS A DRIVE-THRU CLINIC BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Please call 410-479-8045 to schedule an appointment. Please keep all animals leashed while inside the vehicle and cages. All animals must be under the control of a responsible adult.

Rabies is an acute, progressive viral infection that nearly always results in fatal encephalitis. An exposure to the rabies virus may occur when a person is bitten by or exposed to saliva of a rabid animal. The disease is prevented with a four dose rabies vaccine series administered over a period of 14 days and a dose of rabies immunoglobulin given at the beginning of the series. Each year, approximately 900 Marylanders receive preventive vaccinations after exposure to a rabid or potentially rabid animal. 

Animals with rabies often show changes in behavior. Wild animals may act friendly, domestic animals may become aggressive, and animals that are active only at night may appear during the day. Rabid animals may stagger, drool, or become paralyzed. The diagnosis of rabies is made by examining brain tissue from the suspected rabid animal. 

To avoid being exposed to rabies:

•  Have your dogs, cats, ferrets, and livestock vaccinated against rabies
•  Keep your pet under your control at all times, especially when traveling
•  Enjoy wildlife from a distance and do not feed wildlife
•  Avoid sick animals and any that are acting in an unusual manner
•  Cover garbage cans securely and do not leave pet food outside
•  Do not relocate wildlife
•  Prevent bats from entering your home. 

• If you find a bat in your home, do not touch it. Bats found in the home should be safely collected, if possible, and tested for rabies. Only let a bat go if you are sure no people or household pets have had any contact with it. If it is alive, protect yourself from exposure and catch it by placing a small box, bowl, or can over the bat once it has landed to roost, and then slide a piece of cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside. Tape the cardboard to the container and contact the Caroline County Health Department for guidance.

Any suspected exposure to a rabid animal should be reported immediately to the Caroline County Health Department at 410-479-8045.