Skunk rabies case prompts public warning in B.C. Interior

Health officials in B.C. are warning people in the Kootenay Lake region to avoid contact with skunks after one animal recently tested positive for rabies.

Interior Health (IH) and the BC Centre for Disease Control confirmed the rabies case on Thursday. In a release, the agencies said it’s believed the skunk was infectious between Aug. 15 and Sept. 4.

“While interactions with skunks are extremely rare, IH has assessed and treated a small number of individuals who may have been exposed in the Kootenay Lake region, and is asking anyone who had contact with a skunk in this geographic area to come forward for assessment,” IH wrote in a release.

Anyone who was bitten or scratched by a skunk in the region is asked to immediately contact their local public health office, visit a primary care provider or go to an emergency department. This is especially important if the contact happened after Aug. 15.

Any pets that were bitten or scratched by a skunk should be seen by a veterinarian, IH added.

According to IH, rabies is a serious viral infection that affects the brain and nervous system. It can be spread through a bite or scratch from an infected animal.

“Rabies virus is not transmitted through exposure to the spray, urine or feces of infected skunks in B.C.,” the release said.

“Bats are the only known reservoirs of rabies, meaning they can carry the disease and pass it on without showing signs of the disease themselves. Occasional spillovers to other animal species have occurred in B.C.”

The health authority noted that rabies infections in people “are extremely rare in B.C. and Canada.”

“Infections are usually fatal, but preventable when vaccines are administered promptly after an exposure,” it added.

Anyone who sees a skunk or wild animal acting abnormally should call the BC RAPP line at 1-877-952-RAPP (7277). An infected animal may seem disoriented or sick, and may be active during unusual times of day, show no fear of people, or be unusually aggressive.

For more information about rabies and what to do if a person or pet is scratched or bitten by a bat or skunk, people can visit the BC Centre for Disease Control website.