Two local animals have tested positive for rabies this week, putting parts of Chapel Hill and Hillsborough on alert and kicking Orange County’s public health response into gear. County officials say a raccoon was found on Saturday near Dixie Lane in Chapel Hill, and a cat was involved in an incident on Tuesday near Holiday Park Road in Hillsborough. Animal services and public health staff are now tracking down people and pets that may have been exposed, arranging testing, and lining up any needed follow-up care.
Orange County Animal Services received the positive test results, and the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health confirmed both cases, according to WRAL. The county’s release, cited by the station, noted that anyone with a possible exposure is being managed under standard rabies protocols.
How officials are responding
A communicable disease nurse with the Orange County Health Department is reviewing any potential human exposures and deciding whether post‑exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is recommended. Those calls are made one person at…..