Rabid Bat Found in Garage 6/09/08

A dead bat found Sunday in the garage of a Sunset Ridge home has tested positive for rabies. It is at least the third, and possibly fourth, case of wildlife rabies in Holly Springs in less than three weeks.

No family members or pets were believed to have been exposed to rabies. Town Animal Control officers referred the family to Wake County health officials for advice on whether protective shots against rabies were warranted.

The bat was found during the afternoon at a home on Ridgeston Place.

Homeowners should call Holly Springs Animal Control at (919) 557-9111 if they find a bat inside their home.

Animals such as foxes and raccoons with rabies may act unpredictably or aggressively, approaching or even attacking people and pets rather than running away. Call Animal Control if you see an animal acting unusually, especially near homes. Call 911 immediately if a person or pet was exposed.

Recent cases in Holly Springs include:

• A confirmed case of rabies in a fox that attacked a pet Chihuahua on Saturday, May 24 outside a home at 4905 Optimist Farm Road.

• A suspected case of rabies in a raccoon found Saturday, May 24 in one of the traps that Animal Control officers had set out in Sunset Lake Village. The animal did not meet state criteria for testing since no known exposure to people or pets occurred.

• A confirmed case of rabies in another fox that scratched a woman Tuesday, May 20 behind a home in Sunset Lake Village. The woman has undergone rabies prevention treatment.

A rabid raccoon was also found in Fuquay-Varina during that time period, police said.

State law requires rabies vaccination for dogs and cats. An unvaccinated pet that is exposed to rabies must be euthanized or quarantined for six months, Animal Control officers said.

Twice a year, Holly Springs police hold low cost rabies vaccination clinics to reduce the number of unprotected pets in Holly Springs.

Homeowners should not set out food for foxes, raccoons or other wildlife. Securing garbage can lids and removing attractions such as pet food bowls also can help keep wildlife at an appropriate distance.

Until recent weeks, Holly Springs had had only one confirmed case of rabies in the past year. That involved a raccoon that attacked a cat. The cat had been vaccinated.

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Town of Holly Springs - PO Box 8 - 128 South Main Street - Holly Springs, NC 27540 - (919) 552-6221 - Holly.Springs@hollyspringsnc.us