In March, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services reported two notable rabies detections in the state: a cow in Lyon County tested positive for the North Central Skunk rabies-variant and a skunk in Decatur County tested positive for rabies. The cow is the first rabid cow in Iowa since 2018 while the skunk is the first one detected with rabies south of Interstate 80 since 2012.
While rabies is generally a fairly rare condition, the recent cases have prompted Iowa HHS and veterinarians to remind their patients about the importance of vaccinating their four-legged family members.
Protecting your pets
With the recent confirmed cases involving skunks, Iowa HHS says anyone who sees a skunk behaving “abnormally” should consider rabies. Signs to note include: “sudden daytime activity, loss of fear, unprovoked aggression, disorientation or staggering and unusual vocalizations (skunks are usually quiet).” Other signs of rabies in animals can include excessive drooling, paralysis, seizures and difficulty swallowing.
Dr. Ben Korver with the Osceola Veterinary Clinic encouraged testing an animal suspected of having rabies when possible.
“If your pet is contacted by an animal of unknown origin - out in the day and acting abnormally - and if you can get [the animal] or if it’s dead, testing that animal is something we should do to get a definite answer,” he said.
Both the State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory test Iowa animals for rabies, with some sent to out-of-state labs. The only way to presently confirm rabies is with a post-mortem exam of brain tissue.
Korver advised against freezing an animal suspected of rabies while awaiting testing, as that can kill the virus. Care should also be taken when handling a dead animal suspected of rabies.
If a pet, usually a dog, has been exposed to a skunk and the skunk is not able to be obtained for testing, there are quarantine measures.
For a dog that is unvaccinated, Korver said the quarantine time can be up to four months, as it takes time for the virus to start showing. For a dog that is up-to-date on their rabies vaccine, the recommendation is to observe them for 45 days.
With an unvaccinated dog, Korver said the dog should receive a rabies shot within 96 hours of exposure, and he would recommend a booster shot to a vaccinated dog to help stimulate its immunity as much as possible.
“It also depends on the area bit,” he said.
The rabies virus is spread through the saliva of infected mammals and is transmitted to other mammals via an open wound. The virus then makes its way into the central nervous system and travels to the brain. The length of time it takes to reach the brain can be longer or shorter depending on the location of contact - a bite to the leg will take longer for the virus to get to the brain than a bite to the neck or face. Any pet with possible rabies exposure should be evaluated by a vet.
As avoiding wild animals is not always feasible, the best way to protect pets is to vaccinate and keep them up to date on their rabies shots. In 1965, Iowa Code 351.33 was introduced to require rabies vaccinations for all dogs over the age of six months; dogs kept in kennels and not allowed to run at large are not subject to vaccine requirements.
Korver explained an initial rabies vaccine is good for one year. Per the state law, a rabies booster must be administered within one year of the first shot to receive a three-year rabies certification. If that one-year window is missed, even by a day, the animal receives a one-year shot.
Although cats are not currently required to be vaccinated against rabies under Iowa law, Korver said the vet clinic recommends cat owners vaccinate their cats anyway. Iowa HHS also recommends keeping horses up-to-date on vaccinations, and for owners of “high-value livestock” to consider rabies vaccinations.
In humans
Twenty-nine human deaths due to rabies have been recorded in Iowa since 1905 with the most recent case occurring in 2002 from a bat-variant in Linn County. Iowa HHS notes that due to technological and reporting advances, that number may be underreported in the earlier 1900s. Iowans receiving human rabies vaccines and immune globulin administration are collected voluntarily, but in 2024 Iowa physicians reported the administration of 313 doses of RIG (Rabies Immune Globulin) with 2,422 individuals receiving at least one rabies vaccine; 43 individuals received four or more vaccinations. RIG is used in conjunction with the rabies vaccine to prevent infection from the virus.
“If a person gets bit by any animal, the recommendation is quarantine the animal for 10 days, just to watch for rabies signs,” Korver said, especially in the case of dog bites. “If the animal develops rabies signs in quarantine, then we recommend getting the animal tested.”
With bats, because their bites are so small they could be missed, it can be tricky to rule out contact, especially if one finds a bat in their home.
“Any contact is considered an exposure,” Korver said.
Post-exposure guidelines recommend that people who have not been previously vaccinated against rabies to receive RIG infiltrated around the wound(s), if feasible, and the human rabies vaccine on days zero, three, seven and 14 in the upper arm. A person previously vaccinated should not receive RIG, but receive the rabies vaccine on days zero and three. In either case, wound cleansing and a tetanus shot, when more than five years since the last shot, are included in treatment.
Globally, nearly 100% of human deaths due to rabies are caused by dog bites and scratches, a significant amount higher than the United States where nearly every state requires mandatory canine rabies vaccinations. The CDC reports that the United States has been free of dog rabies since 2007, though the canine variant is the most common rabies variant worldwide. Of human rabies deaths in the U.S., 70% are caused by bats.
Korver credited public health initiatives and vaccine requirements and other dog laws as contributing to the decrease in the number of human rabies cases in Iowa.
Rabies in Iowa
With the prevalence of vaccination in domesticated animals, most rabies risk in the United States is now seen mainly in wildlife.
According to Iowa HHS, skunks and bats are the primary carriers of rabies in Iowa. The 2024 Iowa Rabies Report published by Iowa HHS last October stated that in 2024, 1,344 animals were tested for rabies with 20 positive cases reported - 18 bats and two skunks. 2024 showed the largest number of positive rabies cases over the past 10 years, with 2016 being the next highest with 19 and 2019 the lowest with eight.
While the data is influenced by the number of animals tested, the report noted a steady increase in the amount of rabies-positive bats over a 10-year period, ranging from six to 12 positive bats in the years prior. In other positive cases, the last rabid cat was reported in 2017 (there were two), cow in 2018, dog in 2023 and horse in 2016.
Since 1905, 14,644 Iowa mammals have tested positive for rabies. Those cumulative positive results are:
Skunks: 6,690, 45.7%
Farm animals: 3,368, 23%
Dogs: 2,176, 14.9%
Cats: 1,341, 9.2%
Bats: 713, 4.9%
Foxes: 124, 0.8%
Other wildlife: 110, 0.8%
Raccoons: 93, 0.6%
Humans: 29, 0.2%
Cattle are historically the most common domestic species to carry rabies in Iowa. While skunks have historically had the highest reported rabies-positive results, bats are the only species to test positive annually since 1974.
Rabies maps of Iowa from 2024 to 1964 show the number of positive rabies cases each year, of what animal and in what county. For Clarke County, the following are reported positive rabies cases:
2004: one bat
1995: three skunks
1993: one feline
1991: one canine and one skunk
1982: one feline
Iowa HHS lists wild animals found in Iowa and their rabies risk: high-risk animals include skunks, bats, raccoons, foxes and coyotes. Medium-risk animals that are rarely found to carry rabies in the United States include beavers, muskrats and groundhogs. Animals that almost never carry rabies in Iowa include small rodents such as mice, squirrels and chipmunks, opossums and rabbits.
Rabid reporting
Per Iowa Code 351.38, anyone aware of an animal that bites or attacks a person, and any vet or doctor who identifies an animal known or suspected to be rabid, must report the animal to the local confinement authority. For the city of Osceola, that person is Osceola Police Chief Marty Duffus, 641-342-2121. For the rest of Clarke County, contact Sheriff Rob Kovacevich, 641-342-2914.
For more information about rabies from Iowa HHS, information can be found on their website: www.hhs.iowa.gov or by emailing them at rabies@hhs.iowa.gov.