BURLINGTON – The North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health in Raleigh has confirmed Alamance County’s first rabies case for 2014.

On May 7th, an individual in Burlington woke up to a bat flying in their bedroom. The individual promptly vacated and closed the room then called Burlington Animal Control for assistance. The bat was removed by an Animal Control Officer and was the sent to the state lab for testing. The individual involved is seeking medical consultation as a result of the incident.

“This individual did exactly what they should have done. If you find a bat in your home, isolate it to one room, leave the room and close the doors,” states Environmental Health Director Carl Carroll. “Call animal control immediately to capture the bat for testing.”

In 2013, there were eight confirmed rabies cases in the county. Of those eight cases, two were bats. There were a total of 380 confirmed rabies cases statewide in 2013 and of those 28 were bats.

If you are bitten by any animal:

  •        Wash the wound with soap and running water for ten (10) minutes and seek medical attention immediately.
  •       Write down the location of the animal and a description of the animal to provide to animal control. If the animal is someone’s pet, also get the owner’s name and address. Give this information to animal control or the health department.
  •       Do not try to catch any wild animal

For more information or questions about rabies control and vaccination requirements, contact the health department’s Environmental Health office at (336) 570-6367.