An Oakland County resident is undergoing treatment after being bitten by a skunk that has tested positive for rabies, a disease that is fatal if untreated.
Officials have not disclosed the patient’s name, sex or hometown, but said the bite happened March 27 in Royal Oak. The individual has not tested positive for the disease or shown symptoms, officials said.
It’s not known whether the rabid skunk may have infected other animals.
The animal was captured and submitted for testing soon after the bite. On Tuesday, results came back positive for rabies, and the exposed resident immediately started treatment. Rabies testing requires analysis of brain tissue, so the infected skunk has been killed.
Oakland County Health Officer Kate Guzmán said that, generally, when an individual is bitten by a strange animal, health experts recommend immediate preventive measures.
“In this instance, knowing that the animal was trapped and sent for testing, the individual wanted to wait and see how the test came out before beginning treatment,” Guzmán said. “Because rabies is 100% fatal, immediate care is important.”
Guzmán urged residents to take all wild animal contact seriously, seek prompt medical treatment for any animal bite and ensure household pets are up to date on rabies vaccines.
“This rabies case serves as a reminder to all residents that if a person or a pet is exposed to any wild or unknown animal, wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water, then seek medical or veterinary attention immediately,” Guzmán said. “We recommend avoiding contact with wild or stray animals.”
What is rabies?
Rabies is a potentially fatal but preventable viral infection that affects the central nervous system.
It spreads to people and animals through bites and scratches of an infected animal. If medical care is not administered before symptoms begin, it will lead to severe brain disease and death.
The disease is considered rare in humans. About 1.4 million Americans are treated for possible exposure each year and around 100,000 receive post-exposure preventive treatment, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Guzmán said rabies vaccination after exposure is nearly 100% effective.
Rabies causes fewer than 10 deaths each year in the U.S., according to the CDC.
In Oakland County, 607 animal bites were investigated last year, Guzmán said. Among those, 271 individuals received preventive treatment for rabies.
In Michigan, rabies is mostly found in bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes.
Prior to the positive test in Oakland County, two other animals in Michigan had tested positive for rabies this year, a bat in Saginaw County and a bat in Eaton County, according to the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services.
Treatment and prevention
Anyone potentially exposed to the disease is urged to immediately seek medical care and begin treatment including wound care and administration of human rabies immune globulin and a series of four to five vaccines.
Guzmán said exposed individuals will sometimes avoid seeking treatment due to the relatively high price of vaccination. But, she said, the county Health Division won’t turn anyone away based on inability to pay. Cost is based on a sliding scale, she said, and the division can bill patients’ insurance.
Oakland County offered these tips to stay safe from rabies:
Beginning April 10 at the Oakland County Animal Shelter and Pet Adoption Center, rabies vaccines for dogs are free from 9 a.m. to noon on Fridays with the purchase of a dog license. Guzmán said this offer was planned before the recent skunk bite.
“This is the season (rabies) starts ramping up,” she said.
mreinhart@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Skunk with rabies bites Oakland County resident
Reporting by Max Reinhart, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
