An Introduction to Rabies in North Carolina

Rabies is a deadly viral disease that attacks the central nervous system of warm-blooded animals, particularly mammals. In North Carolina, the most common type of rabies is raccoon-variant rabies. It is found commonly in raccoons, skunks, red and grey foxes, coyotes, wolves, groundhogs and beavers. Bats can also transmit rabies but have their own bat variant rabies virus. Any mammal can become infected with rabies. The virus can infect domestic pets, agricultural animals such as cows and horses, and people when they are exposed to rabid wildlife.

North Carolina rabies law requires that all owned dogs, cats and ferrets must be vaccinated against rabies by four months of age (NCGS 130A-185).  One shot is not enough; rabies vaccinations must be kept current (talk to your veterinarian about when your pet needs its rabies booster shots). In 2009, the N.C. General Assembly updated the state’s rabies laws to conform to recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Association of Public Health Veterinarian’s Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control, 2008.

Have your pets vaccinated!

Keep your dogs, cats and ferrets currently vaccinated against rabies. That will protect both you and your pets. Do not let their rabies vaccine lapse, because if your pet is not currently vaccinated and is bitten by an animal that is or might be rabid, animal control is required by law to either quarantine the pet for six months or euthanize them (NCGS 130A-197). That choice must be made by the local health director.

In North Carolina and across the United States, the domestic animal that is most commonly infected with rabies is the cat. Cats that are kept outside unsupervised may prey on wildlife that are infected with rabies. The American Bird Conservancy's Cats Indoors! website has helpful tips for you and your cat.

To find a veterinarian, see the N.C. Veterinary Medical Association's website.

Enjoy wildlife, but at a distance! Never try to approach, handle, feed or rescue wild animals. To learn more about wildlife in North Carolina, see the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission website (ncwildlife.org). Remember, it is against the law in North Carolina to keep or try to rehabilitate wild animals that may carry rabies (called “rabies vectors”).

Protect your pets from exposure to wildlife!

• Keep pets inside. Supervise pets outside, and keep dogs on a leash.
• Do not feed pets outside. Pet food and mulch attract wildlife.
• Do not feed wildlife, feral cats or feral dogs.
• Secure garbage cans with wildlife-proof lids.

If you are bitten or scratched by any animal, clean the wound out well with soap and running water for 10 minutes and contact your doctor. Be certain to write down the location of the animal and a description of the animal to provide to animal control. If the animal is someone’s pet, also get the owner’s name and address and give them to the animal control officer. Any mammal can transmit rabies. The animal that bit you, depending on the species and circumstances, will have to be evaluated or tested for rabies. For dogs, cats, and ferrets, animal control may be able to locate the animal based on the information you provide, and place the animal in 10-day confinement as designated by the local health director (NCGS 130A-196). Find your animal control agency.

Do not try to catch any wild animal that bites or scratches you. Call animal control immediately to capture the animal for rabies testing.

If you find a bat in your home, isolate it to one room, leave the room and close the doors. Call animal control to capture the bat for testing. Most human rabies cases in the United States are due to unrecognized exposures to bats (bat variant rabies). You may not recognize a bat bite or scratch, because the wounds they cause are so small. Most bats do not carry rabies in North Carolina; only about three percent of bats are infected. But, we cannot tell if wildlife are infected by looking at them; a laboratory test is needed. So, a bat or other mammal is considered infected with rabies unless it tests negative. Learn more about bats from Bat Conservation International and at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Bats and Rabies web site.

In North Carolina, we can test animals to see if they have rabies. The State Laboratory Public Health tests wildlife rabies vectors (animals that may carry rabies) that have bitten or otherwise exposed a person or a domestic animal that is not currently vaccinated. Dogs, cats and ferrets are also tested if they get sick with signs of rabies or die during a 10-day confinement after biting a person (NCGS 130A199). Other animals may be submitted for testing with prior approval by the state public health veterinarians. Your county’s animal control agency will have all the information needed to submit animals for rabies testing.

If you have any questions, feel free to call one of the N.C. DHHS Public Health Veterinarians at 919-733-3410.

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