A skunk that interacted with two dogs in Camden County last week was confirmed by the state testing laboratory to have rabies, county officials said.
A Gibbsboro resident alerted authorities about a skunk in their backyard on Aug. 19 interacting with their two dogs, officials said.
The local Animal Control Officer captured the skunk, and the state Public Health & Environmental Laboratory in Trenton confirmed the skunk was infected with rabies on Wednesday, according to officials.
There were no known human exposures, officials said.
The resident that spotted the skunk could not provide proof of a rabies vaccination for one of the dogs which must quarantine for four months, according to officials. The other dog must quarantine for 45 days, officials said.
Both dogs received rabies booster shots, officials said.
“Although rabies is a serious illness, it can be prevented by early treatment,” Virginia Betteridge, county commissioner and liaison to the Camden County Health Department, said. “If you have been bitten or scratched by a wild animal it is important that you seek immediate medical attention.”
The skunk is at least the sixth animal confirmed to have rabies in Camden County this year.
One day before the skunk was found in Gibbsboro, a family dog in Barrington killed a raccoon that was later confirmed to rabies.
Four other animals were confirmed to have rabies earlier this year, including a cat and two other raccoons.
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