Summer break is here: Community urged to avoid animal bites 6-9-26
June 9, 2026
Summer break is here: Community urged to avoid animal bites
MOBILE, Ala. — With summer break underway and more families spending time outdoors, the Mobile County Health Department (MCHD) is reminding residents to stay alert around animals and take simple steps to avoid bites. MCHD’s Infectious Disease & Outbreaks team continues to investigate animal bite incidents throughout the year, with hundreds of reports documented annually in Mobile County.
Across the United States, the most common wild carriers of rabies are bats, skunks, and raccoons. In Alabama, raccoons and bats are the primary sources of rabies in wildlife, but foxes have also tested positive. Over the past year, domestic cats and dogs have been identified with rabies as well, underscoring the importance of keeping pets vaccinated and avoiding contact with unfamiliar animals.
“Any animal can bite if it feels threatened, cornered, or startled — even a family pet,” said Dr. Kevin Michaels, M.D., M.P.H., Health Officer for Mobile County. “As kids are home from school and spending more time outside, we want families to enjoy the summer while staying safe. Teaching children how to behave around animals and knowing what to do after a bite can prevent serious infections, including rabies.”
MCHD offers these tips to reduce the risk of animal bites:
• Never approach, feed, or try to touch wild animals, especially bats, raccoons, skunks, foxes, or stray cats and dogs.
• Teach children to ask an owner’s permission before petting a dog or cat, and to let the animal sniff first.
• Do not disturb animals that are eating, sleeping, or caring for their young.
• If you see an animal acting strangely — staggering, unusually aggressive, very sleepy, or unafraid of people — stay away and contact local animal control.
• Make sure your pets are up to date on rabies vaccination and keep them on a leash or in a secure enclosure when outdoors.
Anyone who is bitten or scratched by an animal, or who wakes up to find a bat in the room, should wash the wound right away with soap and water and seek medical care promptly.
“Prompt evaluation can reduce the chance of infection and allows healthcare providers to decide whether rabies or tetanus vaccination is needed,” Dr. Michaels said. Residents should also report bites or potential rabies exposures to their healthcare provider and the Alabama Department of Public Health.
To protect the community, Alabama law requires dogs, cats, and ferrets 12 weeks of age and older to have a current rabies vaccination. Vaccines are also available for horses and other livestock to lower the risk of disease transmission. MCHD sponsors low-cost rabies vaccination clinics for dogs, cats, and ferrets on weekends. The schedule is available at https://www.facebook.com/ILOVEMCHD/events/ or on the MCHD website at https://mchd.org/events/