1. Ohio Rabies Exposure Events Summary: 2011 1
Annually, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) distributes a survey to all local health departments (LHDs)
to collect information pertaining to rabies exposure events reported in the state. A rabies exposure event
occurs when a person is bitten by a mammal, when saliva contact from a mammal is introduced into an open
wound or mucous membrane, or when a bat is found in a home or bedroom where a human exposure may
have occurred (e.g. the person was sleeping). A non-human exposure event occurs when a domestic mammal
is exposed to a suspected rabid mammal or when a mammal is showing clinical illness compatible with rabies.
There were 122 responses to the survey, representing 100 percent of local health jurisdictions as some health
jurisdictions contract with others.
A total of 19,562 rabies exposure events were reported to LHDs in Ohio in 2011 (Table 1). Of these events, 93.8
percent (18,354) were bites to humans, 3.9 percent (763) were human non-bite exposures and 2.3 percent (445)
were non-human exposure events. Dog exposures accounted for the majority of events (76.3 percent, 14,918),
followed by cats (17.1 percent, 3,353) and bats (3.2 percent, 619). Domestic animals (dogs, cats, ferrets, livestock,
rodents, rabbits, and other domestic) were responsible for 94.2 percent (18,418) of all events. Wild mammals
(rodents, rabbits, raccoons, skunks, bats and all other wild) accounted for the remaining 5.8 percent (1,144). A
summary of individual reports by jurisdiction and mammal category can be found in Appendix 1.
LHDs reported 19,698 persons were bitten or otherwise exposed to rabies in 2011. LHDs knew of 449 patients
who started rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) as a result of their exposure. PEP is not reportable in Ohio so
these totals represent only a portion of the true cases of humans seeking treatment after rabies exposure. Bats
and dogs were each responsible for about a third of people starting PEP, followed by cats (18 percent),
Total animal bites, distribution by species and distribution by exposure (bite and non-bite) in 2011 was very
similar to what was reported in 2010. Skunk exposure events increased 68 percent (28 in 2010 to 47 in 2011).
This could reflect increased awareness in 2011 as eight skunks were confirmed rabid and skunk testing also
increased by 60 percent. Also noted was a 66 percent increase in“other wild mammals”exposure events (71 in
2010 to 118 in 2011) but the specific reason for the increase could not be determined.
Ohio Rabies Exposure
Events Summary: 2011
Mammal Categories
Reports Investigated Humans
Exposed
Humans
Starting PEPHuman Bite Human Non-Bite Non-Human Exposure Total
Dog 14630 228 60 14,918 15188 151
Cat 3144 167 42 3,353 3397 83
Ferret 10 0 0 10 10 1
Livestock 23 7 6 36 38 0
Rodent-Rabbit (Domestic) 40 0 0 40 39 0
Other Domestic Mammals 58 2 1 61 62 0
Rodent-Rabbit (Wild) 88 5 8 101 91 6
Raccoon 129 22 108 259 168 46
Skunk 3 6 38 47 10 2
Bat 127 323 169 619 586 152
OtherWild Mammals 102 3 13 118 109 8
Total 18,354 763 445 19,562 19,698 449
Table 1: Reported Mammalian Bites and Exposures for Ohio 2011

2. Ohio Rabies Exposure Events Summary: 20112
Local Health
Department (Counties) Dog Cat Ferret Live-stock
Rabbit/
Rodent
(Domestic)
Other
Domestic
Rabbit/
Rodent
(Wild) Raccoon Skunk Bat OtherWild
Total
(County /City)
Adams 62 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 69
Allen 203 40 0 1 1 1 1 2 0 3 0 252
Ashland 54 9 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 5 0 72
Ashtabula 123 53 0 0 0 0 6 21 1 6 4 214
Athens 100 16 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 4 0 123
Auglaize 57 9 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 0 71
Belmont 155 25 1 0 2 0 2 3 0 6 0 194
Brown 93 15 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 2 0 114
Butler 251 48 0 0 0 1 1 3 0 2 0 306
Carroll 39 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 47
Champaign 50 10 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 9 0 71
Clark 218 56 0 0 0 0 2 12 4 14 0 306
Clermont 215 49 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 6 0 275
Clinton 63 18 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 3 0 87
Columbiana 121 21 0 0 1 0 0 9 0 6 2 160
Coshocton 47 12 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 4 67
Crawford 61 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 75
Cuyahoga 722 189 0 2 1 12 4 15 13 24 12 994
Darke 83 32 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 2 123
Defiance 81 18 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 103
Delaware 161 38 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 13 2 217
Erie 152 23 0 1 1 0 1 3 0 3 1 185
Fairfield 198 58 0 4 0 0 2 3 3 6 0 274
Fayette 51 15 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 4 0 73
Franklin 401 86 0 0 0 1 1 4 0 37 2 532
Fulton 46 19 0 1 0 2 0 2 0 4 0 74
Gallia 58 15 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 77
Geauga 112 56 0 2 0 2 4 8 1 19 2 206
Greene 194 39 0 3 0 0 0 3 1 21 0 261
Guernsey 89 24 0 0 1 0 2 1 1 11 0 129
Hamilton 519 85 0 0 0 2 1 6 0 42 2 657
Hancock 49 16 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 66
Hardin 53 8 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 62
Harrison 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 20
Henry 41 8 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 53
Highland 62 16 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 2 84
Hocking 62 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 79
Holmes 38 7 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 5 2 55
Huron 103 25 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 2 0 133
Jackson 64 7 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 75
Jefferson 39 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 47
Appendix 1:Total Mammalian Bites and Rabies Exposure Events by Group/Species and Health Jurisdiction for Ohio 2011

3. Ohio Rabies Exposure Events Summary: 2011 3
Knox 109 18 0 0 0 1 1 6 1 11 1 148
Licking 257 80 0 0 0 3 0 4 0 2 1 347
Logan 63 6 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 71
Lorain 148 27 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 181
Lucas 520 65 0 0 0 2 1 2 0 0 12 602
Madison 53 7 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 3 0 66
Mahoning 116 32 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 5 4 159
Marion 90 20 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 2 0 115
Medina 237 76 0 1 5 1 1 7 2 54 0 384
Meigs 31 16 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 48
Mercer 58 7 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 0 71
Miami 107 33 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 5 2 150
Monroe 15 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 19
Montgomery 805 118 1 0 0 0 1 5 0 20 2 952
Morgan 19 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 23
Morrow 48 14 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 65
Muskingum 154 26 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 181
Noble 12 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 19
Ottawa 42 22 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 65
Paulding 25 6 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 3 0 37
Perry 54 5 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 62
Pickaway 63 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 70
Pike 49 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 60
Portage 157 39 0 0 0 0 2 6 0 18 0 222
Preble 33 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 42
Putnam 27 6 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 34
Richland 200 38 0 0 0 2 1 6 2 4 1 254
Ross 147 22 1 1 0 0 0 3 1 8 0 183
Sandusky 117 16 0 1 0 3 0 2 0 0 3 142
Scioto 135 40 1 1 0 1 2 1 0 2 1 184
Seneca 58 15 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 75
Shelby 13 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16
Stark 348 131 1 2 4 0 4 6 0 10 0 506
Summit 509 139 0 0 4 1 9 16 3 29 2 712
Trumbull 166 55 0 0 0 2 0 4 0 1 3 231
Tuscarawas 122 36 0 6 0 0 1 3 3 0 0 171
Union 53 15 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 72
VanWert 23 9 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 35
Vinton 21 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 25
Warren 183 45 0 0 0 1 1 4 0 3 0 237
Washington 50 16 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 67
Wayne 119 35 1 0 1 0 0 4 0 1 0 161
Williams 53 18 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 75
Wood 126 26 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 1 159
Wyandot 37 19 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 2 1 63

4. Ohio Rabies Exposure Events Summary: 20114
Local Health
Department (Counties) Dog Cat Ferret Live-stock
Rabbit/
Rodent
(Domestic)
Other
Domestic
Rabbit/
Rodent
(Wild) Raccoon Skunk Bat
Other
Wild
Total
(County/
City)
Alliance 31 15 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 1 51
Ashtabula 44 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 54
Belpre 10 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13
Canton 218 43 0 1 0 1 3 2 0 0 1 269
Cincinnati 429 61 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 41 1 536
Cleveland 626 110 0 0 4 3 0 0 0 0 30 773
Columbus-Worthington 985 176 0 0 1 0 2 2 0 27 1 1194
Conneaut 41 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 52
Coshocton 35 8 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 44
East Liverpool 25 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 32
Elyria 79 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 100
Findlay 79 14 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 96
Galion- Crestline 41 8 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 56
Girard 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 7
Hamilton 113 31 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 145
City of Ironton 17 10 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 30
Kent 27 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 35
Lorain- Avon Lake 120 13 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 1 138
Marietta 10 6 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 1 22
Massillon 70 14 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 87
Middletown 76 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 84
New Philadelphia 19 13 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 3 0 37
Niles 28 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 42
Norwood 34 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 41
Piqua 40 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 45
Portsmouth 58 7 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 66
Ravenna 13 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 19
Salem 24 8 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 33
Shaker Heights 24 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 0 37
Sharonville 15 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 19
Shelby 13 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16
Springdale 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 12
Steubenville 25 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 32
Youngstown 71 13 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 88
Total, State of Ohio 14918 3353 10 36 40 61 101 259 47 619 118 19562