Rabid Skunk Gets Dog Quarantined In Collingswood

COLLINGSWOOD, NJ — A skunk found in Collingswood tested positive for rabies and potentially exposed a resident's dog to the virus, officials said Monday.

A borough resident found the creature with their dog Thursday in their backyard. Collingswood's animal control officer picked up the skunk and arranged for rabies testing at a state lab.

The Camden County Health Department learned Monday that the skunk was rabid.

Only the dog was exposed, with no human exposures reported, officials said.

Officials received the dog's vaccination records before giving it a rabies booster shot. The dog will be confined and observed for 45 days.

A dog was quarantined in mid-August after exposure to a different skunk in Gloucester Township.

Human deaths from rabies are rare in the United States, with fewer than 10 per year since 1960, according to the CDC. But rabies is fatal in more than 99 percent of cases, with no treatment once signs or symptoms emerge, so post-exposure treatment is vital for people and animals.

"Although rabies is a serious illness, it can be prevented by early treatment," County Commissioner Virginia Betteridge said in a statement. "If you have been bitten or scratched by a wild animal it is important that you seek immediate medical attention."

Betteridge, the liaison to the county health department, advises pet owners to do the following:

• Keep vaccinations up to date for all dogs, cats and ferrets.
• Keep your pets under direct supervision so they do not come in contact with wild animals. If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately.
• Contact your local animal-control agency to remove any stray animals from your neighborhood. They may be unvaccinated and could be infected by the disease.

People should also take the following steps to avoid direct contact with unfamiliar animals, Betteridge says:

• Enjoy wild animals such as raccoons, skunks and foxes from afar. Do not handle, feed or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or liter.
• Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home. Do not try to nurse sick animals to health. Call animal control or an animal-rescue agency for assistance.
• Teach children to never handle unfamiliar animals — wild or domestic — even if they seem friendly.
• Prevent bats from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, houses of worship, schools and other similar areas where they might come in contact with people or pets.
• When traveling abroad, avoid direct contact with wild animals and be especially careful around dogs in developing countries. Rabies is common in developing nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, where tens of thousands of people die of rabies each year.

For more information about rabies, visit the CDC's webpage. Camden County residents can call the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services at 856-374-6370.