Maryland - Rabies 2026

[sharon sanders]

hat tip Shiloh


Source: https://wtop.com/charles-county/202...-charles-co-following-2-rabid-beaver-attacks/

Bat and skunk test positive for rabies in Charles Co., following 2 rabid beaver attacks
Valerie Bonk | vbonk@wtop.com
August 22, 2026, 8:03 AM

Two animals in Charles County, Maryland, have tested positive for rabies, according to the county’s health department.

A bat and a skunk were both found to have the disease and the health department is warning area residents to keep an eye out and avoid contact with unknown animals and wildlife.

The bat was discovered in Waldorf and the skunk was found in Port Tobacco. Both animals tested positive for rabies on Friday.

This comes after three attacks within a month by beavers at Maryland state parks. Two beavers that bit people at Cunningham Falls State Park tested positive for rabies. A beaver that attacked a 10-year-old girl at Seneca Creek State Park was not found but was presumed rabid...

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Source: https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/...omery-county-park-leading-to-closure-of-park/

10-year-old girl attacked by beaver at Montgomery County park, leading to closure of park
Tadiwos Abedje
August 19, 2026, 11:20 AM

A 10-year-old girl was attacked by a beaver Thursday at Seneca Creek State Park in Montgomery County, Maryland, leading to the temporary shutdown of part of the park.

Park officials said they got a report around 3:30 p.m. Thursday of the beaver attacking and biting the girl while she was canoeing at a bend in the creek on the park’s property while attending a summer camp in the area.

Camp counselors helped the girl and removed the beaver from her canoe. It then escaped into the water, officials said...

 

[Pathfinder]

Maryland Park Service Reopens Hunting Creek Lake at Cunningham Falls State Park after Removal of Rabid Beavers​

August 24, 2026

Cunningham Falls State Park. Maryland DNR photo.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reopened water access at Hunting Creek Lake and surrounding portions of Cunningham Falls State Park in Thurmont today, after extensive monitoring found no evidence of rabid beavers.

Portions of the park closed following two beaver attacks at the lake – a 13-year-old was bitten while swimming on July 26 and a 19-year-old was bitten while fishing on August 5. Both beavers were dispatched; and both later tested positive for rabies. Since then, DNR’s Wildlife and Heritage Service and the Maryland Natural Resources Police worked with Maryland Park Service staff to confirm the area was safe to reopen.

Biologists conducting thermal surveys after sunset were not able to find additional beavers in the Hunting Creek Lake area. Additional monitoring methods including trail cameras, trapping, and sign surveys indicate that no beavers remain in the area. Further, there have been no staff observations of beavers around Hunting Creek Lake.

An unrelated incident at Seneca Creek State Park, 35 miles away near Darnestown, is still under investigation. The Maryland Park Service closed the Berryville Area, Route 28 parking lot, and associated river access points to the public following a beaver attack on August 13. Those areas remain closed.

Officials continue to investigate the incident, and are still monitoring the area for any signs of beavers.

Beavers are typically non-aggressive and avoid conflict with humans, but people should still maintain a safe minimum viewing distance of 25 yards for all medium-sized wild animals.

Anyone bitten or scratched by any wild animal should immediately seek medical attention.

Maryland Park Service Reopens Hunting Creek Lake at Cunningham Falls State Park after Removal of Rabid Beavers

news.maryland.gov

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13-year-old recovering from 3 surgeries after rabid beaver attack in Maryland

Dominick Cebula was swimming underwater when the animal latched onto his chest and later bit his hand.

Author: Sarah Robinson
Published: 5:21 PM EDT September 13, 2026
Updated: 5:21 PM EDT September 13, 2026

FREDERICK, Md. — A 13-year-old boy is recovering from severe wounds and nerve damage after a rabid beaver attacked him during a family trip to Cunningham Falls State Park in Maryland.
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Dominick has undergone three surgeries to treat wounds to his chest, hands and to repair severe nerve damage. His father said the family is grateful for the rabies vaccine and the care Dominick received.
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Dominick’s attack was the first of three involving rabid beavers in Maryland in just over two weeks. A fisherman was attacked Aug. 5 at Cunningham Falls, and five days later, a rabid beaver attacked a 10-year-old in a canoe at Seneca Creek State Park.

Portions of the park closed while an investigation into a possible rabies outbreak was underway.
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https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/nation-world/boy-recovering-from-rabid-beaver-attack-in-maryland/507-a658e153-4e5d-456f-914f-71c26229fd6b