Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Cochise County: rabies cases climbed; health officials urge reporting, vaccination and caution around wildlife
Summary
County public-health staff reported a rise in confirmed rabies-positive animals (15 in 2024; eight so far in 2025), described exposure criteria and urged that all animal bites be reported to local law enforcement; post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is administered only in emergency departments.
Kimberly Mitchell, Public Health Preparedness Coordinator for Cochise County, told the board that rabies is a preventable viral disease that remains 100 percent fatal after symptoms begin and that confirmed rabies-positive animals have risen sharply in the county.
Mitchell said the county recorded 15 confirmed rabid animals in 2024 and had eight confirmed positives by early March 2025. She cautioned that those figures reflect positive test results from animals that were captured and submitted for laboratory testing; additional animal exposures that could not be sampled mean actual human exposures may be higher.
Mitchell explained Arizona Department of Health Services guidance distinguishing exposures and non-exposures: an…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
