A skunk in B.C.’s Kootenay Lake region tested positive for rabies on Thursday, and health officials are telling locals to exercise caution. The announcement came from Interior Health and the B.C. Centre for Disease Control on Friday afternoon, explaining the skunk was believed to be 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,” reads an update from Interior Health. Officials say anyone bitten or scratched by a skunk in the area should contact their local health office, see a doctor, or go to an emergency department, especially if the incident took place after Aug. 15. The same warning applies for pets and other domesticated animals, with officials suggesting a vet visit if they were bitten or scratched. “Rabies is a serious viral infection which affects the brain and nervous system. The rabies virus is found in the saliva and nervous system tissue of an infected animal. Rabies is usually spread through a bite or, less commonly, a scratch from an infected animal,” Interior Health explained, noting that an infected animal could appear “disoriented, sick or injured, or may be stumbling, active during unusual times of day, show no fear of people, or be unusually aggressive.” “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.” Officials say rabies isn’t transmitted through exposure to the skunk spray, feces or urine of infected skunks. To protect yourself from rabies among infected animals, Interior Health suggested the following: Anyone who sees a skunk or another wild animal acting abnormally has been asked to call the B.C. RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.
