Hays County is currently the leading county in Texas regarding confirmed rabies cases.
Rabies is a virus that primarily affects the central nervous system. Rabies mainly occurs in wildlife, such as foxes, skunks, and raccoons. After exposure to rabies and before clinical symptoms, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) can treat the disease. However, once symptoms appear, the virus is almost 100% fatal.
PEP involves four or five vaccines, wound care and an infection prevention measure. If PEP is used after exposure to rabies, it is almost 100% effective, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Douglas Loveday, a press officer with the Texas Department of State Health Services, wrote in an email to The Star that only Hays and Bexar counties are in the six to eight confirmed cases category of rabies, surpassing all other Texas Counties. Hays has a total of eight cases, whereas Bexar has seven.
Confirmed cases refer to animals tested for rabies in a lab after collection.
“[There may be cases] in other counties that we just don’t know about because the animals died from the virus and were never discovered and tested,” Loveday wrote.
Rodney Rohde, a professor and chair in the College of Health Professions, said there is an alert from the Texas Department of State Health Services in Hays County due to several rabid animals. The alert includes a skunk that tested positive and a recent fox attack. While the alert is high level, Rohde said it does not mean every human is under imminent threat.
“It’s just more about being aware that wildlife, especially wildlife that’s behaving strangely or doing things that they normally wouldn’t do, to kind of avoid them and certainly if they come into contact with anything like [an animal that is behaving strangely] to let city officials know, as well as their doctor if they actually get exposed to a bite,” Rohde said.
Rabies is primarily transmitted through bites. Other ways include scratches and, in extremely rare cases, organ transplantation. In humans, symptoms appear in the first two-10 days. Symptoms such as a fever, headaches, anxiety and irritability, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, tingling or burning at the bite site can all occur. Any warm-blooded mammal is capable of transmitting rabies, according to Rohde.
Kate Esqueda, community health services manager for the Hays County Health Department, said rabies activity has increased in 2026 compared to previous years. There is also a possible shift toward foxes sustaining rabies at a higher level than skunks, who are the largest host in Hays County. This shift has not yet been confirmed by DSHS.
In 2023, by March there were five rabies cases, however by March in both 2024 and 2025 there were no cases, according to Esqueda.
“Hays County is now a part of a larger regional outbreak effecting multiple counties,” Esqueda said.
Esqueda said to take measures such as avoiding contact with wild animals and to be aware of surroundings when walking outside. People should also take action with domestic pets, such as vaccinations and spaying or neutering pets to ensure they are less likely to look for mates.
Rohde said there are animals on campus that people should be cautious of, including a gray fox and several skunks. He also mentioned that there are bats in the area.
Anyone who sees an animal that may have behaviors related to rabies is encouraged to contact the local authorities. Local residents can contact the Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Division, San Marcos Animal Shelter and Animal Services. In addition, any person who has possibly been exposed to rabies should seek medical care with urgency.
