Rabies in humans is completely preventable, but you must get medical help right away. This is called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and it's highly effective if you get it as soon as possible after exposure. If a person is exposed to rabies, an injection of immune globulin and a series of rabies vaccinations need to be given to prevent infection and death.

In North Carolina, there are 86 local health departments that adhere to standards of practice for rabies PEP as outlined in 2008 and 2010, but not all of them provide PEP.

The Guilford County Division of Public Health provides pre-exposure vaccination. The Guilford County Division of Public Health does not provide rabies PEP. Patients in Guilford County are referred to a local emergency department for wound assessment and PEP. Because PEP can be expensive, corporate patient assistance programs are listed here. In addition to these, the NC Legislature established a fund for rabies PEP for persons who qualify. 

Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite or saliva of a rabid animal. In North Carolina, the disease most often occurs in wild animals, especially skunks, raccoons, bats, and foxes.

The rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and is nearly always fatal in humans. The early symptoms of rabies in people can include fever, headache, or general weakness or discomfort. These symptoms may last for days. As the disease progresses, symptoms may include anxiety, confusion, agitation, disorientation, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, fear of water, and an inability to sleep. Death usually occurs within days of the onset of these later symptoms. 

What are the symptoms in animals?

A rabid animal may show some (or none) of these symptoms:

  • Unusually aggressive behavior (attacking, biting) 
  • Increased drooling 
  • Stumbling or falling 
  • Refusing to eat 
  • Moving slowly or appearing paralyzed 
  • Wild animal may exhibit no fear of people 

Preventing Rabies

Protect yourself and others from wild or rabid animal bites: 

  • Keep rabies vaccinations up to date for any domesticated animals (cats, ferrets, dogs, or horses). If your animal’s vaccinations have expired or you cannot readily locate proof of current rabies vaccinations, get them to a veterinarian and have them vaccinated immediately. There are low-cost rabies vaccination clinics for cats and dogs throughout the year. Reach out to your local animal shelter for more information.
  • Stay away from wild animals and any animal you don’t know. Don’t try to feed, touch, or play with a wild animal. 
  • Stay away from wild animals and any animal you don’t know. Don’t try to feed, touch, or play with a wild animal. 
  • Don’t allow pets to run at large. 
  • Secure garbage in containers and take trash containers out the morning of pick up, not the night before. Trash or food left outside can attract wild animals that may be carrying rabies.
  • Secure crawl spaces under sheds, porches, decks, and homes that could house rabid animals. 
  • Call Guilford County Animal Control to have any sick, injured, or aggressive wild animal removed. Animal Control does not remove healthy stray or wild animals. See contact information below.

Protect from Bat Bites

Since most human cases of rabies are linked to bat bites, it is important to take precautions to protect yourself.

  1. Avoid contact with bats. If you find a bat during daylight hours, it is most likely unhealthy and should not be touched.
  2. Seal living spaces from bats. Do not sleep in a home, cabin, tent, shelter or other lodging facility if bats have access to the living space.
  3. If you find a bat inside, close it off in a room. If you awaken to find a bat in your room, tent, or cabin, close it off in a room. Do not release the bat so it can be safely captured by professionals and tested for rabies. Do not try to capture the bat yourself. If the bat is not caught, it cannot be tested for rabies, which means that the people who were exposed to the bat may have to receive injections of medication and vaccines to prevent rabies (post-exposure prophylaxis).
  4. Call Animal Control. Once you have secured the bat inside a room, immediately call your Animal Control for assistance, then seek medical attention immediately. Never handle a bat or any dead animal with your bare hands. If a bat is found in a room with a person who is sleeping or with an infant or young child who are awake, these people may have been bitten and need to seek medical attention. 

Follow these steps if you have been bitten by an animal: 

  1. Immediately wash the wound with soap and running water for 20 minutes and see a healthcare provider for medical attention. If you have not had a tetanus vaccine in the last 5 years, you will need a tetanus booster.
  2. Contact Animal Control if you or your pet is bitten. Animal Control will assist with confining a domesticated animal for observation and/or capturing and testing a wild animal for rabies. The results of this confinement or testing will determine if you need to begin post-exposure prophylaxis.

Contact Information

  • If you or your pet is bitten, call Guilford County Animal Control at 336-641-5990.
  • If you have questions about rabies exposure and treatment, call Guilford County Division of Public Health’s Communicable Disease line at 336-641-2697.
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