Rabid skunk found in Gloucester Township

A skunk found in a Gloucester Township neighborhood has tested positive for rabies, the Camden County Health Department says.

According to officials, the skunk was found on August 13 when a Gloucester Township resident observed their dogs with a skunk in their neighborhood.

Gloucester County Animal Control picked up the animal and it was submitted for rabies testing at the state Public Health & Environmental Laboratories in Trenton.

The Camden County Health Department was then notified that the animal was rabid.

The dogs who came in contact with the rabid skunk were given rabies booster shots and will be placed under a strict four-month quarantine.

At this time the Camden County Health Department says no human exposures were observed.

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

Betteridge offered the following pieces of advice:

1. Keep vaccinations up to date for all dogs, cats, and ferrets.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they seem friendly.
6. 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.
7. 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.

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