Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription.
Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. Please use the button below to manage your account.
Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Please purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Your current subscription does not provide access to this content.
Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers this afternoon. High 79F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%..
Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall around a half an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible.
Updated: May 17, 2024 @ 7:25 am
A bat recently found in Graham tested positive for rabies, making it Alamance County's second confirmed rabies case in 2021.
Last week, Alamance County Animal Control learned of a bat in a pool on Dixon Road. The next day, the North Carolina State Lab of Public Health confirmed the bat tested positive for rabies, according to a news release from the Alamance County Health Department.
Two people were exposed to the bat, and the county health department recommended post-exposure treatment for those people. Anyone who has outdoor pets in the area is asked to examine them for wounds that may have come from the bat.
Want to read more about what's happening in Alamance County? Subscribe to the Times-News, and support local journalism.
By state law, dogs and cats must be vaccinated against rabies. The first vaccine needs to be before the animal turns 4 months old, and the second vaccine must occur no more than a year later. Vaccines should occur every three years after that.
Bats are a protected species and can't be removed from roosting locations from May through August, the news release said. Anyone who finds a bat inside a home or other building should close off the area surrounding the bat and call animal control.
People who are bitten by an animal should wash the wound with soap and water for 10 minutes and seek medical attention. The Health Department recommends writing down the location and a description of the animal, including the name and address of the animal's owner if it's being kept as a pet.
Anyone with questions or concerns can call Alamance County Animal Control at 336-570-6302, or the Health Department’s Environmental Health office at (336) 570-6367.
Breaking news reporter Rachel Berry can be reached at rberry@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @racheldberry.
This article originally appeared on Times-News: Alamance County Animal Control finds rabies-infested bat, 2nd case in county this year
