The Orange County Animal Services department confirmed its first found case of rabies in the community for the new calendar year this week.

An alert shared by animal services on Friday said someone called Animal Control to report a raccoon that appeared to be sick and immobile on Wednesday, Jan. 22. The raccoon was seen around a walking trail near Glenhill Lane in Chapel Hill, which is in a neighborhood off East Franklin Street east of UNC’s campus. Animal Control retrieved the raccoon that day for rabies testing, and the positive test was delivered to Orange County Animal Services shortly after.

The county department reminded residents on Friday that while it is not unusual to see wild animals active during daylight hours, it is important to note how that animal is acting and to keep one’s distance from all wild animals when possible. The rabies virus can be transmitted through secondary saliva exposure, so handling a rabid or exposed animal without gloves could be very harmful. Like the case on Wednesday, officials urge people to keep visual contact with the animal, call Animal Control at 919-942-7387 or 911, and safely remain in the area until an officer arrives.

Orange County saw eight reported, positive rabies cases in the community for 2024. Raccoons can be common carriers of the fatal virus, making up three of the eight cases in 2024 and three of the six cases reported in 2023.

In its release, Orange County Animal Services reminded pet owners that North Carolina law requires dogs, cats and ferrets older than four months to have current and valid rabies vaccination at all times. The department offers low-cost rabies vaccination clinics to the community several times each year, where pets can get one-year and three-year vaccinations — with the first such events in 2025 coming up on Feb. 12 in Hillsborough. Visit the Orange county Animal Services department’s webpage to learn more.

 

Photo via Andrew Patrick Photo.

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