April 18, 2019
For More Information, Contact
- VDH Risk Communications Manager Lorrie Andrew-Spear – 703-530-2627
Seek Help Immediately if You Were Exposed
(WINCHESTER, Va.) — The Lord Fairfax Health District is notifying the public of a rabid skunk found in the Massanutten Trailer Park in Mt. Jackson on April 14. Local Animal Control captured the skunk and it tested positive for rabies. The skunk is known to have interacted with one dog.
The Lord Fairfax Health District would like to alert the community that anyone who received a bite or scratch, or were otherwise exposed to the saliva, from a skunk around April 14 in the Massanutten Trailer Park in Mt. Jackson should seek care at the nearest emergency department immediately. Rabies is a deadly disease that is 100 percent fatal once symptoms begin, but can be prevented with treatment if it begins immediately after exposure.
The Lord Fairfax Health District encourages everyone to vaccinate their pets, to protect them, family members, loved ones and the community at large from rabies. Virginia law requires domestic animals to be vaccinated against rabies.
In addition to keeping pets vaccinated and keeping vaccinations current, take these steps to protect family members and pets from rabies:
- Avoid contact with wild animals, such as raccoons and skunks, or stray cats and dogs;
- Do not feed wild animals or stray cats and dogs;
- Report stray animals to your local animal control agency;
- Eliminate outdoor food sources around the home; and
- Keep pets confined to your property or walk them on a leash.
For more information, or if you have questions about a possible exposure, visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/environmental-epidemiology/rabies-control/ or call the Shenandoah County Health Department at 540-459-3733.
The Lord Fairfax Health District serves residents in the city of Winchester and Clarke, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah and Warren counties. For more information, visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/lord-fairfax/.