EASTOVER A dead raccoon found in an Eastover yard this week tested positive for rabies the first such case in the county since Jan. 1, officials said Friday.
The State Public Health Lab in Raleigh confirmed Friday afternoon that the animal, found Wednesday in the 1100 block of Jimree Avenue off Dunn Road, was positive for the viral disease that can be fatal to both animals and humans, according to a news release from Cumberland County Animal Services Director Elaine Smith.
The raccoon was seized after a family returned home and found their dog playing with the dead animal. Due to exposure to the dog, the raccoon was sent for testing and the dog impounded at the Animal Services facility.