Rabid Skunk Found In LA County For First Time In 35 Years
LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Authorities said the first rabid skunk in about 35 years has been found in LA county.
The disease has jumped from bats to skunks, officials said.
Long Beach Animal Care Services released news of the incident Friday.
The agency did not say where or under what circumstances the bat was found.
In a statement from the City Manager's office, the City of Long Beach said the variant of rabies has been tested and the strain seems to have come from bats.
Bat-to-mammal transmission is common, said Long Beach Health Officer Dr. Mitchell Kushner in a news release. "This is the time of the year that we may see more bat rabies, and potentially spillover to terrestrial animals," he said.
"We do not anticipate that this spillover event is anything other than an isolated incident," Kushner added.
The public has been warned to avoid any contact with animals acting strangely, to not trap or capture live animals and to make sure pets are properly vaccinated against rabies.
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