Rabid skunk discovered in Camden County yard, officials say

The Camden County Health Department said a skunk found in Haddonfield has tested positive for rabies.

Officials said on Saturday a resident observed their dogs with a skunk in their yard. An animal control officer captured it and took it to the Public Health and Environmental Laboratories in Trenton to be tested for rabies.

There are no known human exposures to the skunk but officials said the resident's dogs were potentially exposed.

The Camden County Department of Health and Human Services was notified on Thursday that the skunk was rabid.

Officials said the resident was notified and the dogs had received a rabies booster shot and will be confined and observed for 45 days.

“Although rabies is a serious illness, it can be prevented by early treatment,” Commissioner Virginia Betteridge, liaison to the Camden County Health Department said in a news release. “If you have been bitten or scratched by a wild animal it is important that you seek immediate medical attention.”

Betteridge 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.\

Betteridge said it is also important to avoid direct contact with unfamiliar animals:

• 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 never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they seem friendly.
• Prevent bats from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, churches, 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 countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.  Tens of thousands of people die of rabies each year in these countries.

For more information, residents can call the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services at 856-374-6370.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has additional information at www.cdc.gov/rabies/.