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By Liam McConnell
Posted on June 20, 2022 at 3:17 pm
A rabid skunk was found in St. Catharines indicating a potential risk to the health of city residents.
This is the fifth rabid skunk to be found in the region this year. That makes Niagara hard to find a number similar to last year, which saw 14 rabid animals, 12 skunks and two raccoons.
In general, skunks are not aggressive, they usually spray their strong odor and run away. As a result, skunk bites are quite rare. However, rabies has a “maddog” evolutionary strategy that makes otherwise docile animals very aggressive.
Skunks are ranked as the third most likely animal to get rabies in 24.7% of cases, behind only raccoons (32.4) and bats (27.2). The virus enters the bloodstream most often through a bite transferred through the animal’s saliva.
Although symptoms take a while to appear, if humans are bitten, the brain eventually swells, causing nausea, vomiting, violent movements, agitation, fear of water, partial paralysis, confusion, coma, and finally death.
Once these symptoms appear, the disease “is almost 100% fatal,” according to the World Health Organization.
Animals with rabies often have behavioral clues about their infection. In the case of skunks, creatures are usually nocturnal during the day. They may have trouble moving and look like they are having a seizure.
Rabid skunks often lose their sense of fear around humans. Normally creepy, a healthy skunk is much more likely to turn its tail and run away. However, anger seizes the nervous system and drives aggressive behavior.
Finally, a victim of rabies, due to fear of water, is unable to swallow anything from his own saliva. Excess builds up creating foam in the mouth. This allows the virus to spread more easily.
However, due to the long interval between infection and the onset of symptoms, a skunk may be angry, but still show no symptoms. Niagara Health said all wildlife bites should be medically evaluated.
They also advise residents that;
- keep vaccinated dogs and cats
- do not leave pets outdoors or unattended,
- Avoid all contact with wild animals and avoid contact between pets and wildlife
- Report wild animals with abnormal behavior (especially raccoons) to local animal control services:
- Welland SPCA: 905-735-1552
- Lincoln County Human Society: 905-682-0767
- Human Society of Niagara Falls: 905-356-4404
- Fort Erie Humane Society: 905-871-2461
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