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Raccoon near Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill has rabies | The Herald Sun <br />https://www.heraldsun.com/news/local/counties/orange-county/article214434384.html[8/14/2018 11:13:45 AM] <br />CHAPEL HILL — <br />BY CHRISTY KUESEL <br />ckuesel@heraldsun.com <br />July 06, 2018 03:15 PM <br />A Chapel Hill woman may <br />need medical treatment after handling a rabid <br />raccoon without gloves, Orange County Animal <br />Services officials said. <br />The raccoon marks Orange County’s third <br />confirmed case of rabies this year, according to <br />the N.C. State Laboratory of Public Health. <br />The woman heard her dogs barking Sunday. <br />She went outside and found a sick baby raccoon <br />in her yard. She placed it in a carrier and called <br />Animal Control, which removed it for rabies <br />testing. The incident took place near UNC’s <br />Finley Golf Course. <br />A nurse from the Orange County Health <br />Department contacted the woman, who may <br />need post-exposure shots, county officials said. <br />Her dogs were not exposed since they were <br />confined away from that part of the yard. <br />If a dog, cat or ferret with a current vaccination <br />history has been exposed to rabies, that animal <br />must receive a booster shot within 96 hours <br />(four days). An unvaccinated animal must be <br />destroyed or quarantined for up to four <br />months, or six months for a ferret. <br />Raccoons and bats are the most common hosts <br />of rabies in the area. <br />Last year, Orange County had nine confirmed <br />cases of rabies, Animal Services officials said. In <br />  <br />MORE ORANGE COUNTY  <br />why <br />Growing local farmers: New festival to <br />support N.C. State’s Breeze Farm <br />incubator <br />Why did Chapel Hill hire ex-Charlottesville <br />manager? He was ‘a really good <br />candidate’ <br />‘We have to make it sexy’; Triangle looks <br />to Richmond to learn about future bus <br />system