KERRVILLE, Texas – Kerr County officials confirmed a fourth case of rabies in just two weeks.
Four skunks in the Kerrville city limits have tested positive since March 8, according to a news release.
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The latest case was reported on Monday when a resident on Antler Drive called authorities and said a skunk in their yard was acting abnormally, Reagan Givens, the director of Kerr County Animal Services, said in the release.
The skunk was euthanized and sent to a lab for testing, and the diagnosis was confirmed on Wednesday.
The skunk did not have contact with humans or pets, according to the release.
Givens said the four confirmed cases this month match the total number of cases in 2023.
“Please, if you see an animal acting strangely or sick, note its description, exact location, which direction it might be headed and call our office at 830-257-3100 to report it,” Givens said. “Stay vigilant, make sure your pets’ vaccinations are up to date against this deadly viral disease, do not feed wild animals and avoid touching any unknown animal, even stray dogs or cats.”
Reports can also be called into the Zoonosis Control office in San Antonio at 210-949-2048.
Rabies is typically found in wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes, but can be found in dogs that come into contact with the infected animals.
The virus is deadly but preventable. It infects the central nervous system, though symptoms may not appear for weeks or even months, according to the CDC.
Someone infected with rabies will feel flu-like symptoms such as weakness or discomfort, fever or headache, and discomfort at the site of the bite.
Symptoms will lead to cerebral dysfunction, anxiety, confusion and agitation, and then progress to delirium, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, hydrophobia and insomnia.
People bitten or scratched by wildlife or unfamiliar animals should speak with a healthcare or public health professional. The virus is nearly always fatal after the clinical signs of rabies appear.
For more information on the virus, click here.