Facts on Rabies in Skunks

Skunks are often feared out of an exaggerated concern about rabies, according to the website of the Humane Society of the United States. Skunks are susceptible to their own strain of rabies and also may contract the rabies variety that afflicts raccoons.Either of these varieties of rabies can afflict humans, with possibly deadly results, but it is rare for a human to become infected with the skunk strain.

  1. Rabies Vaccines

    • The United States Department of Agriculture has not approved a rabies vaccine for skunks. Some veterinarians will use cat or dog vaccine on skunks, ut the animal would not be considered vaccinated in the event it is exposed to rabies. For this reason, some states ban the keeping of skunks as pets.

    Skunks and Animal Bites

    • According to the website petplace.com, the USDA has not established a quarantine period for skunks. This means if a pet skunk bites someone, it cannot be quarantined to determine if it is infected with rabies. The only option if a pet skunk bites an individual is to euthanize the animal and test the brain for rabies.

    Signs of Rabies

    • Signs of rabies in any animal include difficulty walking and a change in behavior that can include aggression. Foaming of the mouth is possible, but not always present in animals with rabies.

    The Course of Rabies

    • According to the Centers for Disease Control, cskunks and other animals go through a period of about 18 days between the first physical symptoms of rabies and the death of the animal. The saliva of the animal contains the rabies virus at this time and anyone who is bitten can be infected.

    Likelihood of a Skunk Carried Rabies

    • According to the Humane Society of the United States, only one human fatality can be attributed to the skunk strain of rabies since 1980. Statistically, there are two to three deaths per year in the United States attributed to rabies from other sources, mainly from bats and dogs that contracted rabies outside the United States.