Rabid Raccoon Confirmed In South Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, NC — Mecklenburg County Health Department issued a rabies alert notification for a south Charlotte neighborhood Wednesday after a rabid raccoon was attacked by a pet dog after it entered a carport.

According to Mecklenburg County Health officials, the alert was issued for residents of Brookfield Place in the 28270 zip code after a March 24 incident where the domesticated dog attacked the raccoon. The dog was current on its rabies vaccination and also received a booster shot within 96 hours of exposure.

Tuesday afternoon, county health officials had issued another rabies alert for the Larkfield Lane neighborhood near Starmount Elementary, but canceled it Wednesday afternoon after the discovery of a lab error.

“Information provided to the Health Department on two separate specimens that were sent for rabies testing was inadvertently reported incorrectly from the lab that performs the rabies testing,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Animal Care and Control said Wednesday. “The raccoon from Larkfield Lane 28210 DID NOT TEST POSITIVE for rabies.”

The alert for the Larkfield Lane neighborhood in the 28210 zip code had been issued after two dogs attacked a raccoon in their yard on March 22.

The March 24 incident marks the second rabid raccoon encounter in Mecklenburg County this year. A skunk has also tested positive for rabies, health officials say. In 2018, 14 cases of rabies were confirmed, CMPD ACC said.

AC&C offers a free monthly rabies vaccination clinic for Mecklenburg County residents, on the second Saturday of every month. The clinic operations from 8 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at the animal shelter at 8315 Byrum Drive in Charlotte. The clinic also offers microchipping for $10 and free pet identification tags.

Here is a list of upcoming CMPD AC&C free rabies clinic dates:

• April 13, 2019
• May 11, 2019
• June 8, 2019
• July 13, 2019
• Aug. 10, 2019
• Sep. 14, 2019
• Oct. 12, 2019
• Nov. 9, 2019
• Dec. 14, 2019