Rabies

About the Program

This program protects the public from rabies outbreaks. This is done by sponsoring rabies vaccination clinics, providing education, investigating animal bites, and quarantining animals. To report possible cases of exposure to rabies please call 336-242-2310 or fax a Bite Incident Report form to 336-249-8774. 

To report a complaint about an animal domesticated or wild, please contact the Animal Control Office.

Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The vast majority of rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year occur in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes.

Rabies Symptoms

The rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. The early symptoms of rabies in people are similar to that of many other illnesses, including fever, headache, and general weakness or discomfort. As the disease progresses, more specific symptoms appear and death usually occurs within days of the onset of symptoms. These symptoms may include: