Indiana State Board of Animal Health Veterinary Advisory

Indiana Rabies Laboratory Update (2 September 2026)

Veterinarians who submit samples to Indiana’s rabies laboratory for testing should be aware that the number of pending animal rabies test requests has temporarily exceeded the capacity of the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) laboratory. 

To ensure timely testing of the highest-risk animals, IDOH is currently prioritizing wild rabies reservoir species (e.g., bats). As a result, dog or cat testing has been temporarily suspended and bat testing may take longer than normal. IDOH recognizes the inconvenience and is actively working to restore capacity as quickly as possible. They expect full capacity to be restored by the end of September.
 
Bites from dogs and cats in Indiana are generally considered to be low risk for rabies transmission. Healthy dogs or cats that have bitten a person should be confined and observed for 10 days past the date of the bite. People bitten by a dog or cat that is not available for a 10-day post-bite quarantine and that cannot be tested due to IDOH’s temporary suspension of services should contact their healthcare provider or county health department to request a risk assessment and recommendations on whether rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (“rabies shots”) are needed. This is standard guidance for situations where the rabies status of a biting animal is unknown.

Supporting Public Health

Please continue to support the health and safety of Hoosiers by submitting samples, especially bats, that have potentially exposed humans. Veterinarians are best-equipped and most knowledgeable to handle and submit bats and other high-risk species to the rabies laboratory for testing. 

More Information About Rabies

To learn more about rabies in Indiana, including bite reporting; protocols for post-exposure, quarantines, and pet vaccinations; applicable laws; and statistics, visit Indiana’s rabies information website: https://www.in.gov/rabies/.