Rabies cases are increasing in Harford County, leading health officials to launch a pilot vaccination program to prevent the spread of the disease.

| HARFORD COUNTY: Oral Rabies Vaccination Project

“Harford County is, unfortunately, (where there is) the highest number of rabid animals tested for the state of Maryland, so far,” said Hannah Lux, a community hygiene supervisor at the Harford County Health Department.

County health officials on Wednesday gave WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates an exclusive look at the vaccination program, which involves strategically placing more than 15,000 vaccine baits across the county. Wild raccoons bite into the bricks or packets and receive immunization. Harford County health officials say they’re following the lead of Anne Arundel County’s program.

So far this year, as many as 28 animals have tested positive for rabies in Harford County, matching the county’s total for all of 2025. Raccoons account for 18 of the cases, along with some foxes, groundhogs and bats.

On Wednesday, county health officials announced another fox was confirmed to have tested positive for rabies. The fox was found near the 2300 block of Perry Avenue in Edgewood.

“We’re a little bit higher, but we’re also testing a pretty good number of animals. So, the more animals you test, the more likely you are to have positives,” Lux told WBAL-TV 11 News.