Alert: Raccoon confirmed positive for rabies in Davidson County

{Photo: Unsplash.com}

Date: December 14, 2023

For release: Immediately

The Davidson County Health Department received a report of a domestic dog and a raccoon encounter, mid-day that left the dog with a wound on its face. The raccoon did not escape and was tested for the rabies virus. On December 12, 2023 lab results confirmed the racoon was positive for the rabies virus. This is the 9th lab confirmed case in Davidson County this year. The domestic dog did receive appropriate veterinary care and is under mandated quarantine, no human exposure was reported. This incident occurred in the Linwood area near Interstate 85.

Wildlife moves freely in our county, and all areas of the county should be cautious of wild animal encounters.

The vast majority of rabies cases occur in wild animals such as raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes. If your domestic animal comes in contact with a wild animal, do not engage with the animal and call Animal Control for assistance. We encourage that individuals refrain from feeding or handling unfamiliar animals. North Carolina state law requires that all animal bites, domestic or wild, be promptly reported to the local health department. If you suspect a domestic animal may have been in contact with a wild or unfamiliar animal, contact a veterinarian for guidance. Rabies is a vaccine preventable disease in humans, dogs, cats, and ferrets, but without the vaccine and postexposure treatment, the virus is 99.9% fatal. North Carolina law requires that all domestic cats, dogs, and ferrets receive the rabies vaccine by 4 months of age and kept current.

For more information about rabies prevention visit: https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/prevention/index.html.

For media inquiries related to the press release contact: janna.walker@davidsoncountync.gov.

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