A skunk captured in downtown Vancouver has tested positive for rabies, according to the local health authority.
Vancouver Coastal Health said anyone who encountered a “sick or abnormally behaving” skunk in the city’s West End or Stanley Park areas between Sept. 22 and Oct. 17 should get an immediate assessment.
“While interactions with skunks are rare, a small number of people bitten by the skunk have been assessed and received rabies vaccinations and immunoglobulin to prevent rabies,” reads a public health notification issued Wednesday.
Rabies is found in saliva and transmitted through bites or, less commonly, scratches, VCH said. The virus is not transmitted through urine, feces, or spray.
“Rabies infections in people are extremely rare in Canada. Infections are fatal but can be prevented when rabies vaccines and/or rabies immunoglobulin are administered promptly after an exposure,” according to VCH.
Anyone who may have encountered the skunk is urged to get an assessment by calling VCH at 604-675-3900 during business hours or attending an emergency room or urgent care clinic outside of business hours.
People whose pets have had contact with a potentially rabid skunk are urged to contact their veterinarians.
More information about rabies is available online.
