Alert: Skunk Confirmed Positive for Rabies in Davidson County
On December 5th, 2023 the Davidson County Health Department was notified of a lab-confirmed positive rabies case within the county. This is the eighth lab-tested positive case of rabies in Davidson County for 2023. After being notified of a bite incident involving a skunk on December 3rd, 2023 Animal Control was able to safely remove the animal from the property and recommend it be tested for the rabies virus. The individual involved did promptly seek postexposure prophylaxis treatment. This incident occurred near US Hwy 64 in Lexington North Carolina.
This serves as a reminder to our community to be aware that wild animals are far more likely to transmit the potentially deadly rabies virus, do not engage with wild animals. The rabies virus is 99.9% fatal in humans who do not seek immediate postexposure treatment. If you see a wild animal do not attempt to feed or handle the animal, call Animal Control for assistance. 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. The rabies virus is 100% fatal in domestic animals if they have not received the rabies vaccine and kept up-to-date. North Carolina law requires that all domestic cats, dogs, and ferrets receive the rabies vaccine by 4 months of age. For more information about rabies prevention visit: https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/prevention/index.html.
