GASTONIA––Gaston County’s sixth case of rabies for the year was confirmed Thursday.

According to the Gaston County Police Department on Friday, a call from a local veterinary clinic came in on Wednesday at about 8:15 a.m., re a sick calf that was being treated at a farm in Dallas. The farm is located in the 400 block of Narrow Gauge Road. 

GCPD Animal Care and Enforcement specialists investigated the incident and impounded the calf the same day. Because it presented signs and symptoms similar to rabies in a livestock animal, the calf was sent to the North Carolina Laboratory of Public Health in Raleigh, also the same day. The official laboratory results were received on Thursday at about 11:45 a.m. These results indicated that the calf tested positive for rabies. 

GCPD Animal Care and Enforcement completed a neighborhood canvass in the area of Narrow Gauge Road, in order to notify residents of the positive rabies results and to verify rabies vaccinations for family animals in the area. GCPD Animal Care and Enforcement also notified the Gaston County Department of Health and Human Services about the incident. The N.C. Department of Agriculture was also notified and is working with the calf’s owner to address any other possible issues with the remaining animals on the farm.

According to veterinarian Dr. Iffat Kawsar, rabies in cattle is a highly fatal viral disease of the central nervous system. Kawsar recently added that it can occur in countless warm-blooded animals and in humans. 

The Gaston County Police Department stresses the importance of having valid rabies vaccinations for your animals’ health and safety, as well as the health and safety of their owners and community.