County reports rise in potential rabies exposures; staff urge careful wording in public reports

Tompkins County public‑health staff reported an increase in potential rabies exposures this season and urged care when describing the cases in public reports.

Staff said most exposures—roughly 85%–90%—are linked to bats and that the county treats many calls as potential exposures when the animal cannot be captured and tested. “If the bat escapes… and the person says, I was in the room, asleep with the bat, that counts as an exposure,” a staff member told the board.

Staff recommended using phrasing such as “potential exposure” or “post‑exposure prophylaxis” to avoid misleading readers. Board members and staff discussed internal triage: some calls do not meet exposure criteria and are declined, while other situations — for example, an unavailable animal after a bite or a bat found in a bedroom — do meet criteria and prompt prophylaxis.

County data discussed at the meeting indicated about 23 cases for which post‑exposure prophylaxis was considered or given this year, with one animal test returning positive in a submitted specimen. Staff noted that many bat‑related events cannot be tested because the animal is not available for submission.

Why it matters: rabies is nearly always fatal once symptoms develop, so public‑health guidance errs on the side of prophylaxis when exposures are plausible and the animal’s status is unknown. Staff said they will work on clearer report wording so public materials distinguish confirmed positives from potential exposures.

Board members asked staff to refine reporting language and to circulate clarifying text for future reports.