Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...ALBEMARLE — The Stanly County Health Department has confirmed the county’s first case of rabies in 2025. The North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health confirmed the positive result of the deadly disease Tuesday. “If you have potentially been exposed to a bat, please contact Stanly County Health Department immediately at 704-982-9171,” Clayton said in the Stanly Health Department’s notice. No rabies cases were reported for Stanly County in 2024. Additional information on how to prevent a rabies exposure is available at cdc.gov/rabies/prevention/index.