A skunk found in the foothills of Jefferson County tested positive for rabies Wednesday, though county officials don’t believe it exposed humans or other animals to the virus.
Officials found the skunk near Paradise Road and Interstate 70 east of Genesee Park, according to a news release from Jefferson County.
The skunk was the first animal to test positive for rabies in the county in 2019. Statewide, 23 animals have tested positive for rabies so far this year, including one domestic dog.
Across the state in 2018, officials found 325 rabid animals across the state — more than double the number from the previous year. Those animals exposed 379 pets and 118 people to the deadly virus, according to state data.
Rabies is often deadly and is spread via the saliva of infected animals. There is no cure for the virus in humans or animals once symptoms appear. Pets who show symptoms are almost always euthanized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Jefferson County Public Health recommended that all domestic animals be vaccinated against the virus. Now that a rabid animal has been found in the county, any pet that is injured by a wild animal will be treated as if it were exposed to rabies, the release stated.
Public health officials warned people to stay away from wild animals and to refrain from feeding them.
