Rabies
What is rabies?
Rabies is a deadly virus spread to people from the saliva or neural tissue (i.e., brain, spinal cord) of infected animals. Only mammals can get rabies. Once a person begins showing signs and symptoms of rabies, the disease is nearly always fatal. For that reason, immune globulin and rabies vaccine is recommended under certain circumstances to stop the rabies virus from infecting the body.
Some animals in Cook County are infected with rabies every year, but some are more likely to be infected than others. For example, wild animals (especially skunks and bats) most often get rabies. Rodents (such as squirrels, hamsters, and mice) and rabbits very rarely get rabies.
What is a Rabies Exposure?
Determining whether a given situation constitutes an exposure can be difficult. The scenarios below can help providers understand what constitutes an exposure.
- A bite from an animal (mammal) to a human
- Saliva/neural tissue contact from an animal to a human’s open cut or mucous membrane
- A bat found in the same room with a sleeping person, an unattended child, an intoxicated person, or anyone unable to confirm that they were NOT bitten.
- Access additional resources that can assist in medical assessment for human rabies post exposure prophylaxis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
What is not an exposure?
Other contact, such as contact with blood, urine, skunk spray, or feces, does not constitute an exposure and is not an indication for prophylaxis.
Evaluation and Treatment
How to evaluate the exposure based on animal species
To aid you in assessing patients for human exposure to rabies, please view the following:
Animal exposure decision flowcharts
Contact CCDPH for Consultation
CCDPH provides consultation to help healthcare providers, veterinarians, and the general public to determine whether a potential exposure occurred. The Communicable Disease Unit may be reached:
- During business hours (8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) at: 708-836-8699
- After hours (4:30 p.m. – 8:30 a.m.) at: 708-836-8600 and follow the prompts.
Animal Quarantine
State and local laws require that dogs, cats and other domestic animals that have bitten or exposed a human to their saliva be quarantined for 10 days regardless of their rabies vaccination status. If at any time during the quarantine period a dog or cat shows signs of rabies, the animal should be immediately euthanized and tested. To ask questions about quarantine, contact Cook County Animal Control during business hours at 708-974-6140.
Testing Information
If the animal is available for testing please contact Cook County Animal Control for specimen collection and submission. Once the specimen is at the laboratory testing takes no more than 24 hours. Be aware that the laboratory is closed during weekends and holidays.
Testing of animals is available at all Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) laboratories, the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine laboratory, and Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) laboratories. IDOA and the University of Illinois charge a small fee for testing, while testing is free at IDPH. If the animal tests positive for rabies, CCDPH will contact you immediately. If you would like to receive test results, you may contact the IDPH Chicago Laboratory by phone at 312-793-4746.
Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Protocol
If a person that has not been vaccinated is exposed to a rabid animal, the following is required for post exposure prophylaxis:
- Human Rabies Immune-Globulin (HRIG) on day 0, plus a series of Human Rabies Vaccines (HRV) on days 0, 3, 7, and 14 (immunocompromised patients should receive a 5th dose on day 28 and subsequent titer check).
- Persons with previous rabies vaccination [i.e., those who completed the series of the three vaccine pre exposure prophylaxis or the series of four/five vaccines and Human Rabies Immune Globulin post exposure prophylaxis (using Human Diploid Cell Vaccine, Rabies Vaccine Adsorbed, or Purified Chick Embryo Vaccines)], should receive two doses of rabies vaccine on days 0 and 3. The person does not need Human Rabies Immune Globulin.
Other recommended measures include:
- Immediately and thoroughly wash all bite wounds and scratches with soap and water.
- Tetanus prophylaxis should be considered.
- Risk of bacterial infections should be assessed and addressed.
- Animal Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis summary of the recommendations below:
Rabies Toolkit for Healthcare Providers
Local epidemiology
In 2020, some 167 potential rabies exposures and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) administrations were reported to CCDPH. Of reported cases: bat exposures accounted for 34%; domestic animals accounted for 12%; other wild species accounted for 8%; and the rest were exposures to unknown species. Only 32% of cases reported met ACIP criteria for PEP administration.
In Illinois, almost all cases of animal rabies occur in bats; however, most bats do not carry rabies. Around 3% of sick or injured bats tested are positive for rabies each year. In 2020, 38 were positive, and six were submitted by Cook County Department of Public Health for testing.
CDC Rabies Resources
IDPH Rabies Resources
Reporting of animal bites and potential rabies exposures in Illinois
- Animal bites are reportable to Cook County Animal Control .
- Potential human exposure to rabies is reportable to Cook County Department of Public Health, including any administration of rabies PEP, within 24 hours. To make sure that a case is reported to CCDPH, please contact Infection Control at your hospital.
Additional Resources
- Both rabies vaccine manufacturers have patient assistance programs that provide medications to uninsured or underinsured patients.
- Sanofi Pasteur’s program is administered through the Franklin Group. For more information, call (866) 801-5655. Instructions and request forms are also available at Sanofi Pasteur’s Connection .
- GSK’s program (formerly Novartis) is managed thru RX for Hope . For more information, call (877) 822-2911.
- Grifols’ Patient Assistance Program for HyperRAB® human rabies immune globulin is available for some uninsured patients and can be accessed by calling 1-833-504-9983. An application for assistance must be completed and approved prior to administration of product.
- Kedrion Biopharma’s Patient Assistance Program for KEDRAB® human rabies immune globulin is administered through Medmonk. Patients who are uninsured can apply for assistance by calling 1-866-234-3732 or by visiting the KEDRAB Patient Assistance Program .
- Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control: National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians
Updated April 3, 2026, 2:14 PM