Township Alerts Residents on Recent Rabies Concern

Upper Moreland Township has announced that a skunk found around the 600 block of S. York Road in Hatboro, has tested positive for rabies.

The skunk was found to be positive on April 19.

Rabies, a viral disease that infects the central nervous system, causes inflammation of the brain, and is transferable from animals to humans, typically from the bite of a rabid animal. The disease is often fatal if left untreated.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), early symptoms of humans that contracted rabies include:

• Fever

• Headache

• General weakness or discomfort.

More progressed symptoms are more specific and include:

• Insomnia

• Anxiety

• Confusion

• Slight or partial paralysis

• Excitation

• Hallucinations

• Agitation

• Hypersalivation (increase in saliva), difficulty swallowing,

• And hydrophobia (fear of water)

The CDC states that death usually occurs within days of the onset of these symptoms.

“Anyone that has been bitten, scratched or had saliva exposure by any skunk must receive treatment to prevent this fatal disease,” states the township website.

The announcement on the township website instructs people or their pets that may have possibly had contact with this skunk or any other stray or wild animal to immediately call the Montgomery County Health Department, Division of Communicable Disease Control at 610-278-5117.