Orange County has received its fourth positive rabies test this year after a dog killed a skunk northwest of Chapel Hill.
Orange County Animal Services officials said in a release the incident occurred on Tuesday near Dairyland Road and Albert Road. A resident noticed her dog had encountered a skunk in the yard.
“The skunk chased the dog and was killed in a fight that ensued,” officials said.
The dog was current on its rabies vaccination and was able to receive a booster rabies vaccination. The booster must be delivered within four days of the encounter, according to state law. An unvaccinated dog, car or ferret that encounters a rabid animal must either be euthanized or quarantined for up to four to six months.
A communicable disease nurse from the Orange County Health Department also has been assigned to the case because the resident handled the dog after it came into contact with the rabid skunk.
Orange County received nine positive rabies cases last year and six in 2016.
Raccoons and bats are the host species for rabies in Orange County. Other animals, including skunks, can contract rabies through the spillover effect.
Orange County Animal Services is hosting a low-cost rabies vaccination clinic on Thursday, October 25, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Farmer’s Market on Margaret Lane in Hillsborough.
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