The department said in a release tests from a raccoon found in Hillsborough came back positive, according to the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health. The case originated Wednesday, January 22, in the vicinity of Schley Road and New Sharon Church Road.
According to Animal Services, a Hillsborough resident heard her dogs barking the previous night and found evidence they encountered another animal. The following morning, one of the dogs brought a dead raccoon to the property. The resident called Animal Control to the scene, who then took the raccoon in for testing. The release said the dogs are up-to-date with their rabies vaccinations and they received booster shots within the required window of 96 hours.
Although it’s unlikely the pet owners were exposed, Animal Services said a follow-up is expected.
“Because the resident and another family member handled the dogs after exposure to the raccoon,” the release said, “a Communicable Disease Nurse from the Orange County Health Department will contact them to evaluate the risk of rabies exposure. As is always the case, a decision about the post-exposure prophylaxis that protects people from rabies is based upon an assessment of all the factors involved in this type of situation.”
Orange County recorded a total of six positive cases of rabies last year and four in 2018. Many positive cases stem from raccoons, which are a common host species in the region. The species most susceptible to getting rabies from raccoons are dogs and cats, groundhogs, skunks, and foxes.
With the first case of rabies reported, Orange County Animal Services also reminded pet owners to ensure their animals have current rabies vaccinations. It is a law in North Carolina that dogs, cats and ferrets older than four months must be up-to-date on vaccinations and those exposed must be re-vaccinated. The department will be holding a low-cost rabies vaccination clinic on Saturday, February 22, at the county’s animal shelter on Eubanks Road. There, pet owners can have their pet receive one or three-year rabies vaccines for $10 and microchips for $35.
For more information on the Low-Cost Rabies Vaccination Clinic, visit the Orange County Animal Services website.
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