HAMLET — A third case of rabies confirmed Wednesday morning in Richmond County prompted Health Director Dr. Tommy Jarrell to again urge residents to be ware of their surroundings and their pets.
Jarrell said this case, like the past two, involved a raccoon.
“In the previous cases the infected animals came into contact with dogs,” Jarrell said. “This time we are not aware of this raccoon having any interaction with people or pets. But we did send it to the state lab to be tested and they did call us back this morning to confirm the raccoon had rabies.”
The raccoon, found on Rollins Avenue in Hamlet, was sent to the N.C .State Laboratory of Public Health on Tuesday for testing.
The first case of rabies was reported in September from a raccoon who came into contact with two dogs on Pineland Drive in Hamlet. Those two dogs were found to be up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations and no further action was taken.
In October, a second case of was reported from a raccoon who came into contact with two dogs on Mizpah Road south of Rockingham.
The dogs’ owners chose to have their pets euthanized since those pets had not received recent vaccines. According to state law, such pets must be quarantined at the owner’s expense at a facility approved by the health director or be euthanized because they have not been vaccinated against rabies.
Jarrell is urging anyone with a dog or cat over the age of four months to ensure their animals are up-to-date with their rabies vaccines as required by state law.
Rabies in Richmond County is rare, according to statistics from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. In 2010 there was one case involving a raccoon. In 2011, two cases were confirmed — one involving a raccoon and the other, a bobcat. In 2012 there was one case involving a dog, and in 2013 one case involving a raccoon. No cases are listed for 2014, making 2015 the worst rabies year for the county in five years.
“When looking at abnormal behavior in animals it’s usually a case where the raccoon seems aggressive or confused,” Jarrell said. “Anytime a wild animal acts in a way they normally do not, such as approaching a person or coming out into the open in daylight if they are normally active at night, can be a sign of that.”
Residents on or near Rollins Avenue in Hamlet are especially encouraged to carefully watch for animals whose behavior is abnormal, remind children to refrain from coming into direct contact with other animals, and contact the Hamlet Police Department at 582-2551 if any animals appear to be acting abnormally.
Reach reporter Melonie McLaurin at 910-817-2673 and follow her on Twitter @melonieflomer.