An epizootic of rabies in Maryland, 1982-84

The number of reported rabid raccoons increased by 617 per cent in Maryland from 1982 to 1984. The per cent of raccoons that tested positive for rabies increased from 7.9 per cent in 1982 to 57 per cent in 1984. During this period of time, more than 74 per cent of human exposures to rabid animals involved raccoons. Reports of animal bites of humans, however, showed only a 2.6 per cent increase. The raccoon rabies epizootic has had significant public health impact in terms of human rabies postexposure prophylaxis and rabies control programs.