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Rabies cases continue to rise in El Paso County

Posted at 6:53 PM, Apr 30, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-29 17:30:53-04

(EL PASO COUNTY) – The number of rabid skunks in El Paso County continues to rise, already more than doubling last year’s total.

“Last year we only had 21 positive skunks, this year we already have 44,” stated Haley Zachary, an epidemiologist with the El Paso County Health District.

There have been so many cases that El Paso County temporarily changed its procedure when dealing with rabies reports.

“Typically and traditionally we only test animals if there has been an interaction with a pet,” continued Haley.

However, from March through April, the county tested every call.

“Now that we know that they are pretty much all over the county, we are taking the stance that pretty much any skunk that you see out during the day acting strangely is probably rabid.”

The El Paso County Public Health District encourages residents to take precautions to avoid contact with rabies:

  • Vaccinate yourself, your pets, & your livestock
  • Keep your dogs on leashes
  • Keep pets indoors during the evening
  • Do not engage wild animals

Visit El Paso County’s website for more information regarding how to react and who to contact in regards to a potential rabies case.