Orange County Animal Services alerted the community to the county’s first positive rabies case in the new calendar year on Thursday.
A release from the department said the case stems from an incident in Rougemont on Tuesday, when a resident, their dog and some livestock were exposed to a rabid skunk. Animal Services said the skunk was in the same area as the resident’s animals and Animal Control was contacted after the skunk was observed “behaving strangely.” After the skunk was removed and tested by the North Carolina State Laboratory, it came back positive for the fatal viral infection.
Thursday’s release said the resident is being evaluated by a county communicable disease nurse and the affected dog had a rabies vaccination, meaning it is receiving a booster shot within the required window. Orange County Animal Service said if livestock at the Rougemont property are deemed to be at risk, a veterinarian from the state Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services will make the determination about treatment or euthanization.
For animals with a valid rabies vaccination history, they can receive a booster shot within 4 days of exposure — which provides the necessary protection against the virus. Unvaccinated animals, however, must either be euthanized or quarantined for weeks and possibly months. In North Carolina, state law requires dogs, cats and ferrets older than four months to have a current rabies vaccination record.
Since this rabies case was the first of 2023, Orange County Animal Services took the opportunity to remind residents about other critical steps when responding to potential rabies exposure. The county department said since the virus is spread through secondary saliva exposure, anyone handling an animal either with rabies or exposed to rabies ought to exclusively wear gloves while touching them. Anyone who sees an animal acting strangely is encouraged to keep the animal in sight and call Animal Control instead of handling it themselves.
Additionally, Animal Services said if a bat — one of the more common rabies animals — is discovered inside a home, do not release it. Instead, remove yourself and animals from the space while calling Animal Control.
Orange County experienced few positive rabies tests over the final half of 2022. In total, just four were reported in the calendar year in a skunk, a sheep, a bat and a raccoon. There were four rabies cases during 2021 and eight in 2020.
Orange County Animal Services said for pet owners who need to update their animal’s rabies vaccination, there will be a low-cost clinic at the Animal Services Center on Eubanks Road in Chapel Hill on February 18. For more information, visit the department’s website.
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