PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — The Calvert County Health Department issued a rabies alert Wednesday for residents in Solomons, Lusby and St. Leonard following three confirmed cases in wild animals. The positive tests, announced November 6, 2025, involved a raccoon on October 30 at Dowell Road in Solomons and two animals on November 3: a raccoon at Patuxent Drive in Lusby and a skunk at Toms Lane in St. Leonard.
Health officials emphasized immediate precautions to prevent exposure, noting that rabies spreads through bites or scratches from infected animals and proves nearly always fatal once symptoms emerge in humans. The virus targets the central nervous system, with incubation periods ranging from weeks to months before causing irreversible damage. In Maryland, wildlife accounts for more than 90 percent of reported cases, primarily raccoons, bats, skunks and foxes, according to state surveillance data.
The alert urges avoidance of wild or stray animals, with specific guidance for families in the affected areas. Contact with unfamiliar creatures should be avoided, and children instructed not to approach them. Pet owners must verify vaccinations for dogs, cats and ferrets, a requirement under Maryland law for animals over three months old. Unvaccinated pets exposed to rabies face a 10-day quarantine or euthanasia for testing, per county ordinances.
Reporting plays a critical role in containment. Observations of unusual behavior — aggression, disorientation or excessive saliva — warrant calls to Calvert County Animal Control at 410-535-1600, extension 2526. Property maintenance helps deter wildlife: secure trash containers and remove outdoor pet food to reduce attractants. Pets should remain leashed or confined to fenced yards, limiting roaming in wooded or waterfront zones common to Calvert’s landscape.
Exposure demands swift action. Bites or scratches require thorough washing with soap and water for 15 minutes, followed by medical evaluation for post-exposure prophylaxis. This regimen, involving rabies immune globulin and a series of vaccines, achieves 100 percent effectiveness if administered promptly. Reports of potential exposures go to the health department at 410-535-5400 and animal control.
Calvert County’s cases align with a statewide uptick in wildlife rabies, where 2024 tallied 150 positive tests, mostly in the mid-Shore and Southern regions. Raccoons led with 68 instances, followed by bats at 45, per the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s annual summary. Southern Maryland’s mix of forests, marshes and proximity to the Patuxent River fosters habitats for carriers, elevating risks in rural pockets like Lusby and St. Leonard.
Historical patterns show seasonal peaks in late summer and fall, coinciding with animal mating and foraging. Calvert reported five cases in 2024, a 25 percent rise from 2023, prompting expanded trap-neuter-vaccinate programs for strays. The county partners with the Humane Society of Calvert County for low-cost clinics, vaccinating over 1,200 pets last year. State funding supports oral rabies vaccine distribution in bait form for wildlife, dropped via aircraft over high-risk zones since 1998.
Rabies surveillance in Maryland dates to 1938, when the first human case spurred mandatory reporting. Today, the state maintains a network of laboratories, including the state veterinary diagnostic lab in College Park, processing samples within 48 hours. Human cases remain rare — none since 1976 — thanks to vigilant pet vaccination rates exceeding 85 percent in Calvert, per health department audits.
For residents, understanding symptoms aids vigilance. In animals, early signs include fever and lethargy, progressing to hydrophobia, paralysis and death within days. Human progression mirrors this, starting with flu-like malaise before neurological failure. Prevention hinges on basics: annual boosters for high-risk pets and pre-exposure shots for veterinarians or field workers.
Calvert’s alert extends to neighboring areas like Dowell, where waterfront properties border wildlife corridors. The health department coordinates with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for monitoring, integrating data from trail cameras in state parks. Community education includes school presentations and flyers at libraries in Prince Frederick and Dunkirk, reaching 2,500 households annually.
Broader Southern Maryland efforts involve tri-county rabies task forces, sharing resources across Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s. In 2025, joint operations tested 200 wildlife samples, identifying hotspots near the Potomac. Vaccination drives at events like the Calvert County Fair immunize hundreds, blending outreach with fairground exhibits on disease vectors.
The virus’s zoonotic nature underscores ecosystem ties: infected animals shed it in saliva days before symptoms, enabling undetected spread. Maryland’s eradication goal for canine rabies, achieved in 2006, shifted focus to wildlife, with bat exclusions recommended for attics in older homes prevalent in Solomons.
Health officials stress that while alerts heighten awareness, routine compliance averts most threats. The department’s rabies page offers forms for exposure reports and clinic schedules. Animal control logs show 15 percent of calls stem from sightings, enabling proactive removals.
In Calvert, where 2,300 square miles blend suburbia with farmland, such incidents remind of wildlife interfaces. Past alerts, like the 2022 Lusby cluster of four cases, led to neighborhood sweeps, testing 50 animals without further positives. Current measures build on those, incorporating apps for sighting reports to streamline responses.
Residents can access free resources, including trap loans from animal control for suspected carriers. Veterinary partners in Lusby and St. Leonard offer discounted titers to confirm immunity. State law mandates reporting positives within 24 hours, ensuring chain-of-custody for brains submitted to labs.
As fall progresses, cooler nights may curb activity, but officials advise year-round caution, especially near streams drawing nocturnal foragers. The alert, active through December, will update with testing results. For queries, contact lines remain staffed 24 hours for urgencies.
