Maryland’s Rabies Cases Defy the National Surge — How Bait Programs Are Turning the Tide

Across the United States, health officials are sounding the alarm: July‑August 2026 saw a 17 % increase in rabies‑related calls to the CDC compared with the same period last year. Eight state health departments reported more people receiving preventive treatment – and, in some instances, mistakes in how that treatment was given.

Maryland, however, appears to be bucking that trend. According to the Maryland Department of Health, the state has logged just 170 laboratory‑confirmed animal rabies cases as of Sept. 8, 2026 – down from the 226 cases recorded in each of the two prior years. While the national picture looks bleaker, Maryland’s numbers suggest a different story is unfolding here.

“Rabies in the wildlife‑rich mid‑Atlantic has long been driven by raccoons,” explains Ronya Nassar, Harford County’s director of population health. “Raccoons are the primary reservoir for a distinct rabies variant that spreads across the eastern U.S.” Indeed, raccoons account for roughly 65 % of every positive animal test in Maryland, making them the biggest source of risk for both people and pets.

The state’s modest success is largely credited to oral rabies vaccination (ORV) bait programs. These are not new ideas – the federal USDA‑APHIS, along with state and local health agencies, have been dropping vaccine‑laden baits in strategic corridors for decades. In Maryland, only two counties run active bait campaigns: Harford and Anne Arundel.

Anne Arundel County’s program started as a tiny pilot on the Annapolis peninsula in 1998. After a few successful test runs on Gibson Island and the Broadneck peninsula, the effort went county‑wide in 2003. The numbers speak for themselves: Anne Arundel recorded just seven rabid animal cases in 2025, versus 21 in neighboring Baltimore County and 38 in Frederick County.

Harford County launched its own ORV effort this year, scattering more than 15,000 vaccine baits across hotspots identified by recent testing data. So far, 217 animals have been submitted for rabies analysis in 2026, with 21 testing positive – a slight drop from the 23 positives out of 173 submissions in 2025.

Beyond the baits, Maryland law mandates rabies vaccinations for dogs, cats and ferrets. The Department of Health stresses that a current vaccine renders a pet “nearly 100 % protected” against infection. Still, stray or free‑roaming cats often miss that protection, underscoring why owners are urged to keep pets leashed, supervised, and indoors when possible.

What should you do if you or a family member is bitten, scratched, or otherwise exposed to a potentially rabid animal? First, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water. Then, seek medical attention right away – post‑exposure prophylaxis is most effective when started promptly. The CDC advises that any exposure to saliva, brain tissue, or nervous‑system material from a wild animal should be treated as a potential rabies incident.

While wildlife such as bats, skunks and foxes continue to carry the virus, the combination of mandatory pet vaccinations, public‑education reminders, and targeted bait drops appears to be holding the line in Maryland. As the rest of the country grapples with rising cases, the state’s focused approach offers a hopeful template for other regions.