The Alamance County Health Department confirmed the county’s first rabies case of 2026, according to a press release April 30.
The county health department wrote that the exposure happened April 29 near South Ashland Drive and Tyron Street in Burlington. Four people were exposed to a cat, and the cat was sent to a state lab for testing, and found to be positive for rabies. The people have been encouraged to begin immediate treatment.
Health officials urged that any outside pets near the Burlington location be checked for bite wounds. The press release also emphasized that cats and dogs in North Carolina must be vaccinated against rabies; once when they are less than four months old, a booster within a year later and every three years after that.
The Alamance County Health Department did not respond to Elon News Network’s immediate request for comment as of 5:55 p.m. on April 30.
For more information about rabies control, contact the Alamance County Health Department’s Environmental Health office at 336-570-6367.