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An incident involving a raccoon on Tuesday, Oct. 29, in the area of New Bridge Road is the third confirmed rabies case in White County for 2019.
An incident involving a raccoon on Tuesday, Oct. 29, in the area of New Bridge Road is the third confirmed rabies case in White County for 2019.
On Tuesday, Oct. 29, homeowners heard their dog barking, which was unusual for the animal, according to White County Environmental Health Manager Sean Sullivan. When the homeowners went to see what was going on, they found the dog with blood on its face and a raccoon in the dog pen. The raccoon was shot and the incident was reported the next day, Wednesday, Oct. 30.
Sullivan says the raccoon was picked up at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 30 and sent off for testing to the Georgia Public Health Lab in Decatur that same day. The state lab shared confirmation of a positive rabies test around 4:45 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1.
The dog is current on rabies vaccinations, but is under a required 45-day observational quarantine, Sullivan says.
Positive alert signs have been posted in the area where the rabid raccoon was located. Those who live in this area and have concerns of rabid animal exposure should contact White County Environmental Health at 706-348-7698 during normal business hours.
Animal owners are encouraged to vaccinate their domesticated pets for rabies. Please call a local veterinarian for an appointment.