There’s a large window in Meagan Helmick’s office at the Mount Rogers Health District that looks across the hallway to a table where animals are tested for rabies. The process is grim. It involves decapitating the animal and collecting a brain tissue sample that’s sent to the state lab in Richmond.
Even though the environmental health team draws a curtain beforehand, Helmick leaves her office every time. She’s both director of the health district and an animal lover, and the proximity to the testing site is a constant reminder of the importance of rabies vaccination in pets and wildlife.
Between April and May, the district confirmed five cases of rabies in raccoons across the six-county region it serves: Bland, Carroll, Grayson, Smyth, Washington and Wythe counties, as well as the cities of Bristol and Galax. Over the last 11 months, there have been 12 confirmed cases total.
In 2024, the state health department reported 352 confirmed rabies cases across the state. Raccoons and skunks were the primary carriers.
While those numbers don’t mark a year-over-year increase, five cases in just two months prompted the district to ramp up public education, reminding residents how to recognize rabid animals, what to do if they’re bitten, and why it’s critical to vaccinate pets and livestock.
Raccoons, groundhogs, skunks and beavers are the most common rabid animals in the area. But any mammal is susceptible.
Helmick remembered a past case involving a rabid dairy cow. The cow showed all the typical symptoms: drooling, staggering, strange behavior and hydrophobia — a fear of water. At first, environmental health staff worried that the virus might be transmitted through her milk, unsure whether pasteurization would kill it. Fortunately, they were able to confirm that the cow was not being milked.
Rabies is a fatal virus that attacks the central nervous system. It’s most often transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, usually through a bite. While the disease is almost always deadly once symptoms begin, it is highly preventable, both through vaccination and prompt medical treatment following exposure.
Bites to humans can happen in a number of ways, Helmick said. Recently, a resident in the Mount Rogers district was bitten by a raccoon while trying to trap and remove the animal from a garbage bin. In other cases, people pet or feed stray cats, which can also carry rabies.
“The unofficial slogan in environmental health is ‘Don’t pet the cat,’” Helmick said, referencing the high number of stray and feral cats in the region.
Often, people don’t seek treatment right away. Helmick said many go to a doctor’s office days after being bitten, saying the wound isn’t healing. At that point, doctors may recommend a series of four rabies vaccinations known as post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP.
Ideally, PEP shots begin on the day of a suspected or confirmed bite, followed by additional doses on days three, seven and 14. Patients also receive a shot of rabies immune globulin, or RIG, which is injected directly into the bite site to accelerate the immune response.
It typically takes about two weeks for the body to build immunity after vaccination. The RIG shot helps speed that process, giving the body a chance to develop protective antibodies before the virus takes over.
If you suspect your pet has been exposed, don’t panic, but do call the health department
Under Virginia law, all domestic cats and dogs 4 months of age and older must be vaccinated for rabies by a licensed veterinarian or licensed veterinary technician under the supervision of a vet.
Pets that are current on their rabies vaccines are considered well protected. If a vaccinated pet has a close encounter with a high-risk animal, such as a raccoon or skunk, and that animal isn’t available for testing, the pet should receive a booster shot and be kept away from other animals for 45 days.
In those cases, owners can still take dogs on walks, Helmick said, but should make sure to keep them on a leash at all times and away from other animals. Cats can also be safely monitored at home as long as they don’t bite other pets or humans during the observation period.
The consequences are more serious for unvaccinated pets. If environmental health officials determine a high risk of exposure, they may require euthanasia. In some cases, animals may be vaccinated immediately and placed in strict isolation. The local health department will determine both the length of isolation and whether the facility is appropriate. They also make the call in the cases of pets with expired vaccinations.
Despite state laws requiring rabies vaccinations, many pets remain under-vaccinated or unvaccinated altogether. Helmick said indoor cats are often overlooked because they don’t go outside. In other cases, it’s outdoor farm dogs whose owners simply don’t think to vaccinate them.
Cultural practices in Southwest Virginia sometimes add another layer of complexity. Helmick said some farmers order vaccines themselves and administer them to livestock without a veterinarian. But unless a licensed vet gives the shot, the state won’t issue a valid certificate.
“We require proof of vaccination. So you tell us where you got your animal vaccinated and we call that veterinarian’s office and get proof,” Helmick said.
To make vaccination more accessible, every locality in Virginia is required to host a free or low-cost rabies vaccination clinic at least every other year.
On Friday, Angels of Assisi will host a Mobile Pet Health Clinic in Hillsville from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event, held at the Southwest Virginia Market at 497 Farmers Market Drive, will offer $10 rabies shots and microchipping for pets.
Aerial vaccine drops along the Appalachians
Beyond domestic animals, rabies control in Southwest Virginia also involves wildlife — particularly raccoons, which are the primary carriers of the virus in this region. To keep it from spreading further, the U.S. Department of Agriculture conducts an annual oral rabies vaccination campaign along the Appalachian Mountains.
The vaccine is delivered through small, fish-scented sachets dropped from low-flying planes and helicopters. A sticky coating on the packets attracts raccoons, which are immunized when they bite into the bait.
The bait is safe for other wildlife and pets, although health officials advise against handling the bait, mostly because of the pungent fishy smell. The distribution usually takes place in late summer and early fall. This year, however, distribution in Southwest Virginia was delayed until spring due to flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene, Helmick said.
The oral vaccine program supports a broader strategy to create a barrier along the mountain range to stop rabies from moving west. The line of defense stretches from Maine to parts of Georgia and Alabama.
