Rabies Has Been Confirmed in These 24 Texas Counties

Laboratory Results Have Confirmed 42 Rabies Cases in 24 Texas Counties
Skunks and Bats Make Up the Largest Percentage of Those Cases
Rabies Is Fatal if Not Treated

The Texas Department of State Health Services has confirmed that 24 counties in Texas have had animals that tested positive for rabies since the beginning of the year. A total of 42 laboratory-tested rabies results have been confirmed.

It should be noted that the amount of testing will vary for different counties statewide. If a report indicates that an area does not have any positive test results, it does not necessarily mean that the disease is not present in that county. It just reflects that no positive tests on collected animals or samples have been reported from that area.

Texas Department of State Health Services

Comal County (New Braunfels) has reported the most confirmed rabies cases (6). Mason County in the Texas Hill Country and Childress County near Wichita Falls each report 4 positive results during the past 3 months.

Which Animals Have Tested Positive in Texas in 2025?

Skunks - 18
Bats - 15
Fox - 5
Cat - 2
Horse - 1
Raccoon - 1
Cow - 1

Texas Department of State Health Services

In 2024, a total of 93 Texas counties reported 407 positive rabies cases. Travis, Williamson, and Comal Counties had the most cases last year.

What is Rabies?

Rabies is a virus that affects the central nervous system. You can be infected with the rabies virus if you are bitten by an animal that has the disease. You can also get rabies if the saliva from a rabid animal contacts your mucous membranes or any open wounds you might have. If you have such contact with a rabid animal, only a series of shots can keep you from getting the disease.

Without timely treatment, the mortality rate for animals and humans who contract the disease is nearly 100%.

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

Gallery Credit: Rachel Cavanaugh