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

Orange County announced in a release that the case involved a raccoon and occurred near UNC’s Finley Golf Course. A Chapel Hill resident heard her dogs barking and went outside to find a sick baby raccoon in her yard. She placed the animal in a carrier and called Animal Control, who arrived and removed it for rabies testing.

The resident’s dogs were not exposed to the raccoon and did not have access to that part of the yard.

Because the resident handled the raccoon without gloves, officials have contacted her to evaluate her risk of rabies exposure and whether there is a need for the post-exposure prophylaxis that protects people from rabies. A decision about the post-exposure prophylaxis is based upon an assessment of all the factors involved in the situation.

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.

Related Stories
‹
Orange County Reports First Rabies Case of 2024, Citing Raccoon in Chapel Hill
Orange County has received its first report of a positive case of rabies in 2024: a raccoon near Southern Village in Chapel Hill.
Orange County: Rabid Raccoon Reported in Chapel Hill
The second case of rabies in Orange County this calendar year happened in Chapel Hill on Thursday, according to the county government. A release from Orange County Animal Services on Friday alerted community members to the latest case, where a Chapel Hill resident saw a raccoon “behaving strangely near his home.” The person called Animal […]
Bat Captured in Chapel Hill Tests Positive for Rabies, Orange County's First Case of 2021
Orange County has received its first positive rabies case of 2021 after Chapel Hill residents caught a bat in their home. The incident occurred on Saturday, March 20, when the residents discovered a bat flying around in their home. According to a report, they were able to secure the bat without any direct contact. Animal […]
Orange County Receives 6th Positive Rabies Case for 2019
Orange County Animal Services received its sixth positive rabies test result of the year on Tuesday, according to the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health. This incident involved a raccoon and occurred in the vicinity of Whitfield Road and North Hill Drive in Chapel Hill. The case originated on Monday when a Chapel Hill resident heard a commotion […]
State Lab Confirms 3rd Positive Rabies Test for Orange County in 2019
The North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health has confirmed the third positive rabies test of 2019 for Orange County, officials said on Tuesday. The case originated in southwest Orange County near Ford Road and Angel Way on Friday, July 26. A resident’s dog “called her attention to a small raccoon that appeared lethargic,” according […]
Orange County's Governments Receive Budget Proposals, Grapple With Adding Taxes or Cutting Services
The managers of three Orange County local governments recommended adding to residents' increased tax bills in their FY26 budget proposals.
17-Year-Old Suspect Sought for Gunfire, Domestic Assault in Orange County Surrenders to Authorities
A 17-year-old wanted for a domestic violence incident involving gunfire turned himself in to the Orange County Magistrate’s Office on Monday.
Uproar Festival of Public Art to Return to Orange County in August
The Uproar Festival of Public Art returns this August to showcase large-scale, bold works of art outdoors in Orange County.
No Clear Solution: Protecting Orange County's Manufactured Home Communities
Orange County is a place people want to raise their families, and manufactured housing allows a lot of low-income housing families to do that.
Orange County's First Rabies Case of 2025 Reported in Chapel Hill
The Orange County Animal Services department confirmed its first positive rabies case of the new calendar year this week in Chapel Hill.
›