The second case of rabies in Orange County in 2018 has been confirmed by the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health.

Orange County Animal Services announced the case in a release on Wednesday, saying that the incident originated with dogs at a home in Rougemont coming into contact with a deceased raccoon.

The resident, who lives in the vicinity of Guess Road and Green Riley Road, heard their dogs barking, according to the release, and found the dogs “in contact with a raccoon.”

Both dogs were current on their vaccinations, meaning they can receive booster rabies vaccines with the required window, which state law dictates is four days. An unvaccinated animal is required to be destroyed or quarantined for up to four months, in most cases.

The dog owners will be monitored by a communicable disease nurse from the Orange County Health Department.

Raccoons and bats are host species for rabies in our area, while other animals can contact rabies through spillover effect.

Orange County received nine positive cases in 2017 and six in 2016. Those are down significantly from a spike of 23 cases of rabies in the county in 2014.

Orange County Animal Services is hosting a low-cost rabies vaccination clinic on Saturday, June 9, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the animal services center on Eubanks Road in Chapel Hill. A full rabies vaccine clinic schedule is available here.

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