Mecklenburg rabies alert issued after coyote bites a person and their pet

Mecklenburg County Public Health issued a rabies alert Thursday after a coyote with the viral disease bit a human and pet on June 6.

The encounter with the rabid coyote occurred in Huntersville, according to a news release. The affected human and their pet are undergoing treatment. Left untreated, rabies can be deadly. This is the first confirmed rabies case in a coyote in Mecklenburg County in eight years, and the fourth confirmed case of rabies this year.

Although the alert did not make it immediately clear how the exposure occurred, Public Health confirmed the rabid animal bit both the human and pet. Other forms of transmission may have been involved as well. Rabies is most commonly transmitted through saliva and may manifest in flu-like symptoms, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mecklenburg County Public Health issues rabies alerts when there is “potential for wider exposure,” according to the release. Affected animals transfer rabies by biting, licking or scratching other animals and humans.

People should not engage or make contact with wild animals under any circumstances. Rabies is most common in wild animals including skunks, raccoons, bats and foxes. People can protect themselves and their pets against rabies through vaccinations; Public Health urges people to make sure they and their pets are up to date.

People should contact Mecklenburg County Public Health at 704-336-6400 if they believe they or their pet made contact with a sick coyote and should report any sick wild animals to Animal Care and Control at 311.

This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 1:38 PM.