Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
January 18, 2007 issue
Rabies Is on the Rise
Health Official Urge Pet Owners to Vaccinate Their Animals
Story by Kathleen McFadden
Last year 520 rabid animals were found in North Carolina, a 13.5 percent increase over 2005 according to the North Carolina Division of Public Health.
Seventy-six North Carolina counties reported at least one rabid animal in 2006. Guilford County reported the most rabies cases with 37. Other counties with high numbers included Orange with 26, Wake with 23, Yadkin with 23 and Cleveland with 20.
So far, 13 rabies cases have been identified in the first days of 2007.
Most rabies cases in North Carolina occur in wild animals, particularly raccoons. Often these raccoons expose domestic animals like cats and dogs. If the domestic animal hasn’t been vaccinated against rabies, state law requires its euthanization or quarantine. Experts with the North Carolina Division of Public Health are urging people to avoid these problems by vaccinating their pets against rabies.
Although raccoons are the most common rabid animal in North Carolina, other rabid animals were also reported in 2006, including 20 rabid cats and eight rabid dogs. Some unusual rabid animals were reported last year. Buncombe County recorded the state’s first rabid ferret. Buncombe and Guilford Counties each reported a rabid coyote. Henderson and Davidson County each reported a rabid cow.
Bats are also rabies carriers, and winter is a great time to bat-proof your home. At this time of year most bats have either migrated south for the winter or are dormant. Bat-proofing your home now will prevent the establishment of maternity colonies or roosts in your home this spring. If you find a bat in the living space of your home where it may have come in contact with you, DO NOT release it out side. Contact animal control so the animal can be collected for rabies testing. This step may eliminate the need for rabies post-exposure treatment.
Exposed or potentially exposed humans should receive immediate medical attention. Post-exposure rabies treatment—a series of shots—will prevent the disease. Once humans develop symptoms, however, the disease is close to 100 percent fatal. There has only been one recorded instance of a human recovering after symptoms, and that person was significantly disabled from the infection.