Rabies confirmed in 5 skunks in Eastern New Mexico

CURRY COUNTY, NM (KFDA) - The New Mexico Department of Health has reported five cases of rabies in skunks in Eastern New Mexico this year.

NMDOH says the skunks were found in De Baca, Curry, Quay and Colfax counties.

Residents and visitors are reminded to be aware of strangely behaving wild animals or oddly acting unowned domestic animals.

Pet owners are advised to make sure their pets and livestock are vaccinated against rabies. Pet owners are also encouraged to keep their pets on a leash to prevent an exposure to a wild animal.

“As spring warms up, and people enjoy outdoor activities, we want to remind residents and visitors to stay away from wild or unfamiliar animals and encourage pet owners to keep their pets on a leash and have their rabies vaccinations up-to-date,” said Department of Health Cabinet Secretary Kathy Kunkel.

NMDOH provides the following guidelines to help protect you and your family from rabies:

Stay away from wild or other unfamiliar animals. Don’t touch wild animals (alive or dead). Share this important message with your children.
Be a good friend to your pet: up-to-date rabies vaccinations and current license tags and identification for your pet could save his/her life!
Healthy puppies and kittens can receive their first rabies vaccination at 12 weeks of age to ensure they are protected early in life.
Keep pets on a leash at all times. If your cat or dog has been bitten or scratched, call your pet’s veterinarian, even if the wound is superficial.
Avoid feeding wild animals to prevent animal bites and to prevent familiarity with human foods. Healthy wild animals that lose their fear of humans can be mistaken as being sick and destroyed unnecessarily.
If you or a loved-on are bitten by an animal, or come into contact with an animal’s saliva, wash the exposed site immediately with soap and water for 10-15 minutes. Be sure to report the bite to local Animal Control and seek medical care as soon as possible.
If you see a sick of dead wild animal, or any wild animal acting abnormally in your area, report it to New Mexico Department of Game and Fist at (505) 476-8000.
If you see an unowned cat or dog acting abnormally, call your local Animal Control or sheriff’s office. Rabid animals may show no fear of people and may even seem friendly or become aggressive.