Guilford County confirms ninth rabies case of 2026 in Oak Ridge skunk

Keep cats, dogs and ferrets vaccinated for rabies, and do not touch wildlife alive or dead. If an animal bites or scratches you, wash the wound with soap and water right away, seek medical care and call Guilford County Animal Control at 336-641-5990.

That warning gained urgency after Guilford County confirmed its ninth animal rabies case of 2026, a skunk found on West Harrell Road in Oak Ridge that tested positive on May 13. The case adds to a springtime run of infections that has kept rabies in the public-health spotlight across neighborhoods near woods, open land and backyards where pets and wildlife cross paths.

The county’s 2026 pattern has been steady. The first case was a cat on Apple Wyrick Road in Gibsonville, which tested positive on January 5 and was announced January 6. Later cases included a skunk on NC 61S in Whitsett on January 30, a raccoon on Harvey Road in Jamestown on February 5, a raccoon on Clay Street in Greensboro on February 25, and a raccoon on Nathanael Greene Drive in Greensboro on March 24. The Oak Ridge skunk now extends that list into mid-May and shows rabies remains active in Guilford County, not isolated to one pocket or one species.

North Carolina law requires cats, dogs and ferrets 4 months old or older to be vaccinated, even if they live indoors or stay in fenced yards. Guilford County Animal Services says one-year rabies vaccines are available at clinics for $10, and at-home rabies vaccines are available for qualifying residents for $10 per animal. Residents seeking rabies prevention information can call Animal Services at 336-641-2506.

Health officials have repeatedly urged residents to avoid direct contact with wildlife, whether the animal appears sick, injured or dead. That advice matters in Oak Ridge and throughout Guilford County, where everyday pet activity can bring people close to skunks, raccoons and other wildlife that can carry the virus.

The pace of this year’s cases also gives a trend line. Guilford County had already recorded at least six animal rabies cases by August 20, 2025, and later posted a fox rabies alert for Harvest Road in McLeansville on September 24. By reaching nine cases before the middle of May this year, the county is already well into a level of wildlife rabies activity that officials have been warning about for more than one season.

Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about 4,000 animal rabies cases are reported each year in the United States, more than 90% in wildlife, while fewer than 10 human rabies deaths are reported annually. Guilford County’s message remains local and immediate: vaccinate pets, stay away from wild animals and call quickly when an exposure happens.