On July 28, a resident in the vicinity of NC N.C. 86 North and Sawmill Road came home and saw his dog fighting with a raccoon. He shot the raccoon and then called 911.
Orange County Animal Services received a positive rabies result for that raccoon from the North Carolina Rabies Laboratory. This is the ninth confirmed rabies case in Orange County for 2009.
Raccoons are a host species to rabies in the Orange County area and the region. The other species that are most susceptible to getting rabies from raccoons are dogs and cats, groundhogs, skunks and foxes.
The other host species of rabies of concern in this region and others is bats.