Rabies

Rabies (from a Latin word meaning rage) is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in animals and people. It can affect most species of warm-blooded animals, but is rare among non-carnivores. In unvaccinated humans, rabies is almost invariably fatal once full-blown symptoms have developed, but post-exposure vaccination can prevent symptoms from developing.

Rabies and domestic skunks in the United States

Since there is no USDA-approved vaccine or quarantine period for skunks, pet skunks are frequently put down after biting a human.

Related Topics:
USDA - Quarantine - Skunks - Pet skunks - Put down

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The post-exposure rabies series must be administered to the bite victim before the disease progresses too far. For that reason, there has to be a means of determining whether the animal has rabies within a reasonable amount of time. Without a recognized quarantine period for skunks, there is no way of knowing how long to watch the animal for signs of the disease. That leaves no option but to kill the skunk and test its brain cells for rabies.

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Skunk owners have recently organized to campaign for USDA approval of a vaccine and quarantine period for skunks in the United States.

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