Which state has the most rabies cases?

In 2023, Virginia reported the most animal rabies cases of any state at 398, followed by New York with 356 and Texas with 350. Counts reflect animals tested and confirmed positive, so they are shaped by how much testing a state does as well as by how much rabies is circulating. A low count does not by itself mean a state has little rabies.

How many people die of rabies in the United States each year?

Human rabies is rare in the US, usually a handful of cases a year or fewer. No human rabies cases were reported in the United States, Canada or Mexico during 2023. That reflects widespread pet vaccination and the availability of post-exposure treatment, not an absence of risk — the treatment only works when someone seeks care after an exposure.

What animal carries rabies most often in the US?

Wildlife accounted for 3,451 of the 3,760 animal rabies cases reported in 2023, about 92%. Bats were the most frequently reported rabid animal at 1,298 cases, followed by raccoons at 1,085, skunks at 642 and foxes at 299. Among domestic animals, cats were most often reported, at 222 cases.

Why is this data from 2023 and not this year?

State-level and species-level counts come from the CDC National Rabies Surveillance System, published once a year as a peer-reviewed report. That report runs roughly 18 to 24 months behind its data year — the 2023 edition was published in July 2025 — so 2023 is the most recent year with complete published figures for every state. For current local activity, contact your state or county health department.

Is any US state free of rabies?

Hawaii reported no animal rabies cases in 2023 and is the one US state with no established terrestrial rabies reservoir, which its geography and animal import quarantine help maintain. Elsewhere, the report models county-level freedom from terrestrial rabies variants, but bats carrying rabies are found across the continental US, so no mainland area should be treated as risk-free.

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Rabies statistics by state, 2023

Animal rabies cases reported for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, broken down by species. Figures come from the CDC National Rabies Surveillance System and cover 2023, the most recent year published.

About the 2023 data year

National rabies surveillance is published once a year, roughly 18 to 24 months after the year it covers — the 2023 report appeared in July 2025. That makes 2023 the most recent year with complete, comparable figures for every state. We publish the real data year rather than relabelling older figures. For current local activity, contact your state health department.

The national picture in 2023

Animal cases reported: 3,760
Were wildlife: 92%
Samples tested: 87,058
Human cases: 0

3,760 animals tested positive for rabies in the US in 2023, out of 87,058 samples tested — a positivity rate of 4.2%. That is up from 3,579 cases in 2022. Wildlife accounted for 3,451 of those cases and domestic animals for 309.

No human rabies cases were reported in the US, Canada or Mexico during 2023. Human rabies is rare here — typically a handful of cases a year or none at all. That is a result of pet vaccination and of post-exposure treatment being available, rather than an absence of exposure risk, and the treatment works only when someone seeks care.

The three states reporting the most animal cases were Virginia (398), New York (356) and Texas (350). Read those counts with care: they reflect how many animals a state tested as well as how much rabies is circulating, so a low number does not on its own mean a state has little rabies.

Animal rabies cases by state, 2023

Select any column heading to sort. All 51 US states and the District of Columbia are included, plus Puerto Rico, marked as a territory.

Animal rabies cases reported by US state during 2023, by species group. Sortable.

Virginia	398	27	182	106	35	35	+18.1%
New York	356	84	134	52	46	24	+16.7%
Texas	350	159	20	125	16	30	-11.4%
Pennsylvania	266	55	105	15	18	40	-19.1%
North Carolina	231	28	102	42	31	22	-12.5%
Maryland	213	18	117	28	23	23	+0.9%
California	202	179	0	19	4	0	-16.2%
New Jersey	183	30	100	23	5	20	-5.7%
Georgia	171	19	74	23	28	21	+6.2%
Massachusetts	112	22	56	22	5	2	+19.1%
Illinois	83	83	0	0	0	0	+36.1%
South Carolina	78	15	24	19	8	11	-6%
Maine	75	9	38	14	6	3	+108.3%
Florida	65	19	28	1	4	11	+3.2%
Arizona	58	43	0	4	7	1	+23.4%
Colorado	56	48	0	8	0	0	-20%
Michigan	55	34	0	19	0	2	+14.6%
Minnesota	48	36	0	6	0	5	+92%
Alaska	46	0	0	0	43	0	+206.7%
West Virginia	46	6	27	5	2	6	+64.3%
New Hampshire	42	7	18	9	5	2	+23.5%
Arkansas	40	8	0	28	0	4	+90.5%
Oklahoma	39	6	0	21	0	12	-11.4%
Vermont	39	3	17	9	7	2	-9.3%
Alabama	38	13	20	0	2	2	-17.4%
Wisconsin	38	38	0	0	0	0	+153.3%
Connecticut	36	12	9	8	1	3	+33.3%
Missouri	33	30	0	3	0	0	+26.9%
Ohio	31	27	3	0	0	1	-16.2%
Kansas	26	11	0	10	1	4	+52.9%
Puerto Rico(territory)	25	0	0	0	0	9	+19%
Montana	24	23	0	1	0	0	+100%
Nebraska	22	20	0	0	0	2	+4.8%
Utah	22	22	0	0	0	0	+69.2%
Rhode Island	20	9	8	2	0	0	+17.6%
South Dakota	20	18	0	1	0	1	+122.2%
Kentucky	19	15	0	2	0	2	+90%
Wyoming	19	13	0	6	0	0	+46.2%
Idaho	16	16	0	0	0	0	-40.7%
New Mexico	16	11	0	2	2	1	+45.5%
Tennessee	16	7	0	6	0	3	-36%
Washington	16	16	0	0	0	0	+100%
Iowa	14	12	0	1	0	1	+27.3%
Nevada	12	12	0	0	0	0	+71.4%
Indiana	10	10	0	0	0	0	-16.7%
Oregon	10	10	0	0	0	0	-23.1%
Delaware	7	2	0	1	0	3	-36.4%
Louisiana	7	7	0	0	0	0	+133.3%
District of Columbia	5	2	3	0	0	0	-50%
Mississippi	3	3	0	0	0	0	+50%
North Dakota	3	1	0	1	0	1	-50%
Hawaii	0	0	0	0	0	0	—

“Domestic animals” covers cats, cattle, dogs, horses, donkeys, sheep and goats. Species columns shown here do not sum to the state total, because rodents, lagomorphs and less common wildlife are counted in the total but not given their own column. Hawaii reported no cases and has no established terrestrial rabies reservoir.

Where these numbers come from

Figures are from the National Rabies Surveillance System (NRSS), CDC, which collects animal rabies testing data from 54 reporting jurisdictions and publishes an annual summary. Every number on this page is taken from Table 1 of that report:

Boutelle C, Bonaparte S, Orciari LA, et al. Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2023. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2025;263(10):1310-1319. doi:10.2460/javma.25.05.0344
Published online 2025-07-18. A work of the US Government, not subject to copyright under Title 17 of the US Code.

A count here means an animal that was tested and confirmed positive. Most animals are tested because a person or pet may have been exposed, so these figures measure confirmed rabies in tested animals — not the total amount of rabies in the environment, which is higher. Comparisons between states should account for differing testing volumes.

This page reports surveillance data. It is not guidance on what to do after a bite or scratch. If that is why you are here, use the rabies risk calculator or read what to do immediately after a bite. Only a clinician or public health authority can decide whether you need treatment.

Frequently asked questions

Which state has the most rabies cases?: In 2023, Virginia reported the most animal rabies cases of any state at 398, followed by New York with 356 and Texas with 350. Counts reflect animals tested and confirmed positive, so they are shaped by how much testing a state does as well as by how much rabies is circulating. A low count does not by itself mean a state has little rabies.
How many people die of rabies in the United States each year?: Human rabies is rare in the US, usually a handful of cases a year or fewer. No human rabies cases were reported in the United States, Canada or Mexico during 2023. That reflects widespread pet vaccination and the availability of post-exposure treatment, not an absence of risk — the treatment only works when someone seeks care after an exposure.
What animal carries rabies most often in the US?: Wildlife accounted for 3,451 of the 3,760 animal rabies cases reported in 2023, about 92%. Bats were the most frequently reported rabid animal at 1,298 cases, followed by raccoons at 1,085, skunks at 642 and foxes at 299. Among domestic animals, cats were most often reported, at 222 cases.
Why is this data from 2023 and not this year?: State-level and species-level counts come from the CDC National Rabies Surveillance System, published once a year as a peer-reviewed report. That report runs roughly 18 to 24 months behind its data year — the 2023 edition was published in July 2025 — so 2023 is the most recent year with complete published figures for every state. For current local activity, contact your state or county health department.
Is any US state free of rabies?: Hawaii reported no animal rabies cases in 2023 and is the one US state with no established terrestrial rabies reservoir, which its geography and animal import quarantine help maintain. Elsewhere, the report models county-level freedom from terrestrial rabies variants, but bats carrying rabies are found across the continental US, so no mainland area should be treated as risk-free.