Northwest News-Rabid Skunks
More rabid skunks found in El Paso County
August 31, 2009 11:00 AM
The Gazette
The discovery of three rabid skunks in three weeks in El Paso County prompted health officials Monday to issue a strong warning to all area residents to protect their pets and their children from the contagious, deadly disease.
“This is a lot of positive skunks in a relatively short amount of time,” said Dr. Bernadette Albanese, medical director for the El Paso County Health Department. “For anyone in El Paso County — for anyone in eastern Colorado, really — this is important.”
The three new confirmed cases brings the county total to six in 2009. That news is especially troubling to health officials because El Paso County had been rabies-free since 1970, the last time a case was reported.
The six skunks were in the northern portions of the county:
· north central El Paso County along the border with Elbert County
· Peyton
· just east of the intersection of Highway 83 and County Line Road, along the southern edge of Douglas
· near Powers Boulevard, just east of highway 83
· near Eastonville along Latigo Boulevard
· near Black Forest.
Exact locations are not important, Albanese said, because it can be assumed skunks are spreading the disease throughout the county.
Albanese said it’s critical that area residents teach their children to avoid wildlife and make sure their pets are fully vaccinated against rabies to “interrupt this chain.”
“It appears skunk rabies has really taken hold in our state,” Albanese said, citing reports that show it steadily moving west across Colorado. “Not only is it spreading, it is approaching more populated areas.
“Without some interruption in the chain, we have every reason to believe it’s just going to continue.”
Rabies is a viral disease that affects mammals, including humans. It infects the brain and other parts of the central nervous system, causes brain damage and swelling and, ultimately, death. It’s typically spread through animal bites as infected saliva enters a wound. It can also enter an animal through the membranes of its eyes, nose or mouth, the health department said.
A pet or person sprayed by a skunk isn’t at risk of contracting rabies, Albanese said, because the transmission must involve saliva. If a pet or person is bitten, however, officials urge swift medical treatment.
There is no cure for rabies once symptoms appear.
“By then it is a fatal disease,” Albanese said, adding that she fears there could be many more rabid skunks in the county than have been confirmed so far.
“We don’t have a systematic skunk surveillance system or rabies testing system, so we have to be concerned that there may be a lot more skunks around that are positive,” she said.
Reports of rabid skunks have jumped all across eastern Colorado. There have been 26 reports of infected skunks — all but a couple on the Front Range or in plains counties — up from 18 reports for all of 2008.
The Health Department recommends these steps to prevent against rabies skunks or other wildlife:
· Don’t feed or pet wild animals or allow your pets around them. Be sure to teach children to stay away from wild mammals.
· Contact your veterinarian if your dog or cat is bitten or scratched by wild animals, such as skunks, bats, foxes or raccoons.
· If you suspect you’ve been exposed to rabies, contact your physician immediately.
· If you observe a wild mammal acting strangely, especially a skunk, or if you find a dead skunk that isn’t on your property, stay away from it. Strange behavior for a skunk would include being out and about during daytime.
· If you must remove a dead skunk on your property, wear rubber gloves or lift the carcass with a shovel or other tool, and double-bag it for the trash.