On October 15, 2021, the North Carolina State Laboratory notified Caldwell County Animal Control that a skunk submitted for testing and was infected with the rabies virus. The skunk was found on Addison Lane in the Grace Chapel community when it made contact with a dog. This marks the third confirmed rabies case in the county this year and the second in this area.
To protect your pets, make sure their rabies vaccinations are current. Rabies is a viral disease of the central nervous system that is almost always fatal once symptoms begin. The virus is found in the saliva of an animal with rabies and is usually transmitted by a bite or scratch. Rabies is common in NC wildlife. Raccoons, foxes, skunks, and bats are the most common carriers of the disease. Because rabies is fatal and can also be transmitted to people vaccination of dogs and cats against rabies is required by law in NC.
Animal Control will hold a Rabies Vaccination Clinic on Saturday, October 23, from 1-4 p.m. at the Health and Human Services Building in Lenoir. One- and three-year vaccinations will be offered for a cost of $7 per vaccination.
