Pender County releases rabies warning after a second positive case since March

The Pender County Health Department says do not handle wild animals, strange dogs or cats

ROCKY POINT, NC (WWAY) — Pender County Health Department has confirmed a positive case of rabies in the Rocky Point area.

This is the second confirmed case of rabies in the area since March.

Rabies is a viral disease that affects the nervous system of mammals. The virus can be transmitted through a bite or by contact with the tissue in your nose, mouth, and eyes.

Symptoms of the disease may occur from 2 weeks to 6 months after exposure.

Rabies is fatal once symptoms occur.

In Pender County, rabies has been found in raccoons, bats, skunks, and foxes.

In the warmer months, people generally spend more time outdoors.

The Pender County Health Department offers some helpful tips to protect yourself, your family, and your pets from a rabies exposure:

• Do not feed or attract wildlife. Some changes in behavior that are common in rabid animals: nocturnal animals that are seen during the day, animals that are not afraid of humans, become aggressive, and attack other animals or people for no reason may have paralysis of the limbs or throat or lying down.
• If you find a raccoon or other wild animal in your yard during the daytime and the animal appears to be either sick or aggressive, do not touch or attempt to control the animal. Call Animal Control at 910-259-1349, and report the animal immediately.
• To protect your pets, keep your pets in your yard or indoors, and their rabies vaccinations current. A current vaccination is required by law. If your unvaccinated pet comes in contact with a rabid animal, your pet will be impounded and will be “put to sleep.”
• If your dog or cat fights with a wild animal, such as a raccoon, or a stray dog or cat, call animal control. If the attacking wild animal is captured it will be tested for rabies. All dogs or cats that bite a person will be under observation for 10 days.
• If your pet is bitten by a potentially rabid animal use gloves to handle the the pet, or cover the pet with a cloth or towel, and keep children away from the pet. Take the pet to your veterinarian.
• If you are bitten by a stray dog, cat, or wild animal, you should immediately wash the area where you were bitten with soap and warm water for at least 15 minutes. Secondly, contact your family doctor or go to the nearest emergency room. Some bites may require you to take an antibiotic. All bites require an updated Tetanus. Your doctor will call Animal Control and the incident will be investigated by an Animal Control Officer.

We have reached out to Pender County regarding what kind of animal(s) were involved in the positive rabies cases, but officials say no further information is available at this time.