88.5 WFDD Web Archives
WFDD Archive
Main WFDD Website News Archives Triad Arts Archives Real People Archives Sports Commentary Archives Business Report Archives  

You are visiting the WFDD web archives.

Click here to return to our main website with the latest news from WFDD and NPR.

Search the WFDD archives
Listen (mp3) Listen  

Animal Rabies Cases Up in Guilford County

October 31, 2012 | Keri Brown

Animal Rabies cases are on the rise in Guilford County.

The Guilford County Department of Public Health says 24 confirmed animal rabies cases have been reported so far this year, that’s up from a total of 18 in 2011.  The latest one occurred on October 16, when a raccoon found on West Florida Street in Greensboro tested positive for the rabies virus.

“We have had raccoons, foxes, skunks, we have had a bat, the majority of cases this year have been in raccoons or wild animals. We are trying to get residents of Guilford County to make sure they do not engage or try to rescue any wild animal that they see in their yard,” says Sandy Ellington, Community Health Educator for the Guilford County Department of Public Health.

Rabies can be fatal. Ellington says no confirmed human cases of rabies have been reported in Guilford County, but she says dogs and other family pets have been exposed. She says North Carolina law requires all domestic pets four months and older be vaccinated.

“If your pet is vaccinated and they already have their rabies shot and are exposed to a rabid animal, they simply need a booster shot. If they are not are not vaccinated, the pet either has to be confined at an approved pet facility or it has to be euthanized,” says Ellington.

Ellington says animal rabies shots are inexpensive and range from around $5 to $10. She says residents should check with their local animal shelter for more information.


<< earlier stories later stories >>
<< December 2004 >>
Su M T W Th F Sa
   1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031 

Show month: