Rabid skunk found in Lexington neighborhood, health department says. What to know

The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is urging residents in the Andover Hills neighborhood near Jacobson Park to make sure their pets’ rabies vaccines are current after a skunk in the area tested positive for the deadly virus.

The public health agency announced on social media Thursday afternoon that it had received word that an Andover Hills resident discovered the skunk earlier this week.

It was not immediately clear if the skunk was alive when it was found, but there is no accurate method for testing rabies on a live animal. The department said in a statement there was no apparent contact between neighborhood animals and the skunk.

“It was submitted by a resident and was sent to the state lab for testing,” LFCHD spokesperson Kevin Hall said in an email Thursday afternoon.

As explained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , rabies is a viral disease that is transmitted primarily through animal bites. Once symptoms appear, which can happen anywhere from a few days to a year after exposure, rabies is virtually 100% fatal. Immediate medical attention is critical after a suspected rabies exposure.

Along with bats, raccoons and foxes, skunks are among the most commonly infected animals in the U.S.

Signs of rabies in animals include:

• Excessive drooling
• Staggering
• Aggression
• Fearfulness
• Difficulty swallowing
• Paralysis
• Seizures