Downtown Vancouver skunk that bit people tests positive for rabies

VANCOUVER — A skunk captured in downtown Vancouver has tested positive for rabies after biting a small number of people.Vancouver Coastal Health issued a public health advisory on Wednesday after confirming the result. The people who were bitten have been assessed and received rabies vaccinations and immunoglobulin.The advisory covers the West End, Stanley Park, and a section of downtown Vancouver bordered by Georgia and Burrard streets. Anyone who was bitten, scratched, handled, picked up, or otherwise had direct contact with a sick or abnormally behaving skunk in that area between September 22 and October 17 should contact the health authority for assessment.CityNews Vancouver reported the confirmation early Thursday..The virus is found in the saliva of infected animals and is usually transmitted through a bite. It can also be transmitted, less commonly, through a scratch. It is not transmitted through exposure to the spray, urine, or feces of infected skunks.Rabies infections in people are extremely rare in Canada. The disease can be fatal, but can also be prevented when vaccines and immunoglobulin are given promptly after an exposure. Bats are the only known reservoirs of the virus in BC. Occasional spillover to other animals, including skunks, has been recorded..Anyone who believes they may have had contact with the skunk can call Vancouver Coastal Health at 604-675-3900 during business hours. After hours, people should go to an urgent primary care centre or an emergency department. Residents outside the Vancouver Coastal Health region should contact their local health authority.Pet owners whose animals had direct contact with a skunk in the area during the same period should contact their veterinarian.Health officials say anyone bitten or scratched by a bat, skunk, or other wild animal should wash the wound with soap and warm water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical care immediately.

Downtown Vancouver skunk that bit people tests positive for rabies

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