Skunk determined to be carrying rabies

Staff report

A skunk wandered into a dog kennel on Mountain City Road on July 10, carrying with it the second confirmed case of rabies in the county.
According to a Washington County Sheriff’s Office press release, the skunk bit a family dog before being captured and euthanized. The animal was sent to the state lab where it tested positive for rabies.
Washington County Sheriff Fred Newman declined to identify the family involved.
Environmental Health Manager for the Mount Rogers Health District Scott Honaker said the first case was reported on March 24 when an infected raccoon was captured.
Last year, Honaker said a single confirmed case was reported, and 2006 was one of the lucky years where no cases were reported in Washington County.
“Rabies is endemic to the whole area,” he said. “There’re not a whole lot of (confirmed) cases, but that’s not necessarily a reflection of what’s out there.”
While Honaker said that humans are at risk for contracting the disease, he said the biggest population at risk is unvaccinated pets, especially if they’re outside animals. Honaker said that not only does vaccinating pets protect them, it also protects the owner by putting a barrier of immunity between wild animals and people.
Another way Honaker gave to avoid contracting the disease was to use common sense. Don’t approach any sickly, strange or wild animals that you might encounter. Though caution should be exercised with any strange animal, Honaker said the “big four” animals notorious for carrying the disease are raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats.
Honaker said that if you happen to be bitten by an animal that you’re unsure of, the first thing to do would be to wash the wound with soap and water, then contact Washington County Animal Control at 676-6277 and the Virginia Department of Health at (804) 864-8141 or a (276) 781-7450.