A bat in Chapel Hill marks Orange County’s first case of rabies this year.

The bat was found flying inside a home last Friday. Animal Services officers removed it for testing. The case was confirmed on Wednesday.

Officials say neither the family members nor the two dogs in the home came into contact with the bat, but they don’t know how long it was indoors.

Orange County has seen an uptick in rabies cases in the past 12 months. 23 cases were confirmed in 2014, nearly double the totals for the two previous years.

Residents are urged to report any contact with a bat, regardless of whether household pets or farm animals are involved. That’s because the few cases of human rabies in this country in recent years have been traced to bats.

If you discover a bat inside your house, be sure not to release it, but do remove yourself and any animals from the area. Always call animal control immediately if you find a bat in your home even if there is no evidence of a bite.

If an incident occurs after business hours, you can reach Orange County Animal Services by calling 911. You can find out more about rabies prevention here.

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