4 Rabid Skunks Identified In Ann Arbor
ANN ARBOR (WWJ/AP) - Health officials in Washtenaw County report that four skunks have tested positive for rabies this year within the city of Ann Arbor.
Officials said Thursday that they are not aware of any human cases of the disease.
Humans and pets who had contact with the skunks have received or are receiving rabies vaccinations.
And while health officials are not alarmed by the rabies cases, Health Department Information Officer Susan Cerniglia said they want to keep residents aware of the situation.
Talking to WWJ Newsradio 950, Cerniglia said pet owners need to make sure their dogs and cats are up to date on their rabies shots.
She said animals and humans should avoid skunks and people should look out for skunks that are acting strangely.
"Stereotypically we think of a rabid animal being very aggressive, and that definitely happens. But we're hearing from people that they're seeing skunks out in the day and they might approach people and just do things that don't seem very characteristic," Cerniglia said.
Cerniglia said pets are not likely to catch rabies by getting sprayed by a skunk, but they can through a bite.
This is the first time the county has detected rabies in skunks in seven years.
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