Rabies in the Carolinas

Laurie Anne Walden, DVM

Photo by Alexa on Pixabay

In the last few months, several animals in the Carolinas have tested positive for rabies, and a number of people and pets have been exposed to the virus. These are a few of the recent rabies cases and some statistics:

• In Matthews, a bat tested positive in September; 1 person and a pet were exposed.
• In Charlotte, a bat tested positive in September, and a dog was exposed.
• In Laurens County, South Carolina, 6 people were exposed to rabies from a stray cat in November.
• In 2025, as of November 25 (the date of this post), 9 animals have tested positive in Mecklenburg County, 5 have tested positive in Cabarrus, and 17 have tested positive in Gaston.
• Raccoons are by far the most common rabies carriers in the Carolinas. The other common carrier species are skunks, foxes, bats, and cats.
• Feral cat colonies and unvaccinated stray cats pose a rabies risk to humans. Twenty-two cats have tested positive in North Carolina so far in 2025.
• Any mammal can be infected with rabies. Two cows have tested positive in North Carolina so far this year (they were in Davie and Durham counties).
• Worldwide, rabies kills tens of thousands of people every year. Almost all of these human cases are caused by rabies in dogs. But in the United States, dog rabies is very rare, and so are human deaths. Why? Because starting in the mid-20th century, most dogs in the United States have been vaccinated for rabies.
• Restating for emphasis: Mandatory rabies vaccination for pets is the reason very few people die of rabies in the United States.

 
Rabies is a deadly viral disease that causes encephalitis, or brain inflammation. It is not curable but is very easy to prevent with the rabies vaccine. The virus is spread through saliva or nervous system tissue of infected animals. The virus is usually transmitted through a bite, scratch, or contact of infected saliva with broken skin or mucous membranes (eyes or mouth).
 
Infected animals can transmit rabies before they show any signs of infection. This is one reason stray cats and feral cat colonies are a special risk for people. People are more likely to come in contact with stray cats than with wildlife. People who handle infected kittens and adult cats can be exposed to rabies without realizing the animal is carrying the virus.
 
In North Carolina and South Carolina, rabies vaccination is mandated by law for all pet dogs, cats, and ferrets older than 4 months. An animal’s rabies vaccination status (current, overdue, or not documented) affects what happens to that animal if it’s exposed to rabies or bites someone, so don’t let your pets’ rabies vaccines expire. Local animal control officials decide whether an animal will be quarantined at home, quarantined at a facility, or euthanized for rabies testing, and that decision is based partly on rabies vaccination status.
 
Take these steps to protect your pets and yourself from rabies:

• Keep your dogs, cats, and ferrets up to date on rabies vaccination. This includes pets that live completely indoors!
• Stay away from wildlife, especially common rabies carrier species: raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats.
• If you are bitten or scratched by an animal, wash the area with soap and water and seek medical care right away. Rabies in humans can be prevented with prompt care.
• If the animal that bit you dies or is killed, don’t destroy or dispose of the body. Call Animal Control for pickup so the animal can be tested for rabies, if appropriate.
• Bat bites are hard to see, so any presence of a bat in the house is considered a possible rabies exposure. If a bat gets into your home (or tent or anywhere people have been sleeping), don’t touch the bat and don’t release it outdoors. Secure the bat in a room and call Animal Control to capture it for testing.
• If your pet is bitten by any animal, seek veterinary care without delay.

 
Sources

• Positive results by county and source. NC Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed November 25, 2025. https://celr.dph.ncdhhs.gov/rabies
• Rabid animals confirmed in multiple counties; six people and eleven pets exposed. News release. SC Department of Public Health. November 21, 2025. Accessed November 23, 2025. https://dph.sc.gov/news/rabid-animals-confirmed-multiple-counties-six-people-and-eleven-pets-exposed
• Rabies. World Health Organization. June 5, 2024. Accessed November 23, 2025. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rabies
• Rabies notification. News release. Town of Matthews, North Carolina. September 3, 2025. Accessed November 23, 2025. https://www.matthewsnc.gov/newsview.aspx?nid=7113
• Ruder M. 8th positive rabies case confirmed in Mecklenburg County. WCCB Charlotte. September 25, 2025. Accessed November 23, 2025. https://www.wccbcharlotte.com/2025/09/25/8th-positive-rabies-case-confirmed-in-mecklenburg-county/

 
Image source: https://pixabay.com/photos/raccoon-animal-mammal-nature-fur-3538081/

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