BESSEMER CITY, NC — A sick racoon found in a resident’s backyard Wednesday has tested positive for rabies, according to county officials.
The raccoon was captured by Gaston County Animal Care and Enforcement officers after being reported in the backyard of a Gelsinger Avenue home earlier this week.
On Friday, the NC Laboratory of Public Health in Raleigh informed Gaston County officials that the animal did test positive for rabies.
Officials say they’re in the process of alerting residents in the immediate areas where the raccoon was found about the results, and working to verify pet rabies vaccinations.
This is the first confirmed case of rabies in Gaston County this year.
