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According to surveillance maps, updated on July 6 and released this week by the Texas Department of State Health Services, both Bexar and Travis counties are in the state's highest case category, reporting between 17 and 33 laboratory-confirmed rabies cases in 2026.
State officials group counties into ranges rather than releasing exact case totals, but Bexar County has previously confirmed at least 18 rabies cases this year.
County officials have issued several public health advisories in recent months after infected foxes, skunks and other animals tested positive for the virus.
Statewide, bats account for the highest number of laboratory-confirmed rabies cases this year, with 90 confirmed infections, followed by skunks with 87 cases and raccoons with 25. The state has also confirmed rabies in 20 foxes, 14 cats, two cows, and one each in a dog, goat, horse and coyote.
Bexar County Public Health Director Andrea Guerrero said the increase in recorded cases is partly the result of heightened awareness and surveillance.
"Just being in the public consciousness has, I think, contributed to just having a lot more animals tested and a lot more positive cases," Guerrero said.
She added that the county's high numbers may also be connected to a significant fox outbreak that occurred along the Comal County line last year.
"We had a pretty significant outbreak among foxes last year, where we had five positive foxes right on the Comal County line, and Comal County also had a higher number," Guerrero said. "Foxes and the rabies virus don't know geographic boundaries, and so we feel like that was just a population-based infection that was just kind of moving back and forth across the county lines."
Guerrero said rabies remains endemic in much of Texas wildlife and that growing development has brought people and animals into closer contact.
"In terms of how rabies infection happens, it's endemic to most wildlife — and a lot of that wildlife population has become increasingly close to human populations with development and urbanization of previously rural areas," she said.
Rabies is a viral disease that attacks the brain and central nervous system of warm-blooded animals. The virus is spread through the saliva of an infected animal, usually through bites or scratches. Once symptoms develop, rabies is almost always fatal.
Health officials stress, however, that the disease is preventable if treatment begins quickly after a potential exposure.
Guerrero said human deaths from rabies are rare because of prompt medical treatment and post-exposure vaccinations.
County officials are urging residents to avoid approaching or handling wild animals, particularly those that appear sick, aggressive or unusually tame. They also recommend keeping pets vaccinated and supervising animals outdoors to prevent encounters with wildlife.
The county is reminding residents of a case from two years ago in which middle school students picked up a bat they found on a playground, illustrating how easily exposure can happen when people underestimate the risks posed by wild animals.
Animals infected with rabies can display a variety of symptoms, including sudden changes in behavior, unexplained paralysis, difficulty swallowing, seizures, refusing food or appearing disoriented. Wild animals may also lose their natural fear of humans or become active at unusual times, such as skunks roaming during daylight hours.
Officials caution that not every animal exhibiting these symptoms has rabies, but any animal acting abnormally should be avoided and reported to authorities.
Anyone who is bitten, scratched or has broken skin after contact with an animal should immediately wash the wound with soap and water, seek medical attention and report the incident to Animal Care Services, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office or 911.
Once a bite is reported, animal control officers investigate to determine whether the animal may have rabies and whether post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, is necessary. If the animal cannot be found or identified, health officials recommend consulting a doctor immediately about receiving preventive treatment.
