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Rabies Concerns in Larimer County

The Larimer County Department of Health and Environment announced on May 4, 2012, that a skunk found close to the foothills in Fort Collins tested positive for rabies. The skunk was tested both locally and by the CDC in Atlanta and confirmed to have the skunk source of rabies, the first time this type of rabies has been confirmed in a populated area of Larimer County.

Read the press release for May 11
Read the press release for May 4

Map showing where rabies-positive animals have been found.

See a video on skunk rabies:

Every year in Larimer County, the Health Department receives calls from people who feel they have been exposed to, or bitten by an animal that could have rabies. Of specific concern are human interactions with wild animals which could be carrying rabies such as bats or skunks. Most bats and/or skunks do not carry rabies, but it is important to follow some basic guidelines when interacting with any wild animal.

For your health and safety:

Never touch a wild bat, skunk or ANY wild animal.
Call the Larimer Humane Society's Animal Control (226-3647, #7) if you find a bat or skunk that has bitten a human or pet; that is active in the daytime; that is sluggish, lying on the ground, or walking in circles; that is in the house or lands on a human; that is having trouble walking or with balance.
Keep your pets up to date on their rabies and other vaccinations! Cats are especially known for playing with either a sluggish or dead bat. If the cat or you can pick up a bat, chances are it is sick. Dogs can chase and tangle with skunks which might be easier to catch when they are sick, or a skunk with rabies may enter a kennel and confront your pet.
REMEMBER: bats, skunks, and other wild animals do not want to be captured or touched by humans! Observe them from afar and do not touch them!

Questions and answers about rabies, skunks, and bats in Larimer County:

Bats, skunks, and rabies, general information

Rabies shots (Rabies vaccination)

What to do if you have an encounter with a sick or dead bat or skunk

How to prevent exposure to a bat or other animal with rabies

For More Information

General Information on rabies, bats and skunks in Larimer County

What is rabies?

Rabies is an infectious disease of warm-blooded mammals. It involves the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) resulting in paralysis and, eventually, death. It may be transmitted to humans by the bite or other exposure to the saliva of an infected animal.

A variety of animals can get rabies. Why the concern about skunks and bats?

Until 2007, the main reservoir for rabies in Colorado was bats. Since 2007, however, skunk rabies has spread rapidly from eastern Colorado and along the Front Range so that it is now considered the main reservoir for rabies in Colorado. The only rabid skunk previously found in Larimer County was along the Wyoming border, in a very rural area, in late 2010. Once skunk rabies is established in an area, it cannot be eradicated, and can sometimes spread infections to other common wild animals, such as foxes.

In Colorado, rabies is endemic in bats. This means that the virus is constantly present in a small portion of the bat population.

Other mammals can get rabies from an infected skunk or bat or another animal that has been bitten by one with rabies. Pets can be protected from getting this disease through vaccination. The fatality rate for untreateated rabies is 100% meaning that all unvaccinated animals who contract rabies will die of the disease.

Why do we hear about bats, skunks and rabies every summer?

From July through early fall the numbers of bats in Larimer County increase as several species migrate to our area. Some bats hibernate here and stay year-round. Late spring is usually when baby skunks begin to appear, hunting with their mothers. Since more skunks are active at this time, encounters with humans and pets are more likely.

When are bats and skunks active?

Summer evenings are prime time for bat activity as they catch insects and feed on certain flowers. Skunks begin their search for food at dawn and dusk, when it feeds on mice, eggs, carrion, insects, grubs, and berries. At sunrise, it retires to its den. If a bat or a skunk is out in the daytime, acting sluggish, crawling on the ground or flying erratically, or having trouble walking and keeping its balance, chances are it is sick.

Should I be afraid of bats and skunks?

No. Only a small number of them carry rabies at any one time. Both are a beneficial part of our ecosystem and will not harm you if left alone. However, it's important to be cautious and avoid human/bat/skunk encounters especially if the animals are out in the daytime, acting odd, moving or flying erratically or crawling on the ground.

Why do I need to be cautious around animals in the wild?

Wild animals don't want to be touched by humans. They might bite in response. Most bats or skunks do not carry rabies, but many do. A bite from animal with rabies can transmit it to you or your unvaccinated pet. Untreate rabies is a serious, deadly disease in animals and humans.

Can rabies be cured?

No. There is treatment for humans that needs to be administered soon after being exposed to prevent the growth of the infection. There is no post-exposure treatment for animals. Without that post-exposure treatment, rabies is usually fatal in humans. It is always fatal in animals.

Do all bats and skunks carry rabies?

No, most bats and skunks do not carry rabies and pose little health risk. In Larimer County, it is estimated that only 1 % of bats might be infected with rabies. When you have a large population of bats, as we do during migration season, it's expected that every year a small number of them will have rabies. Likewise, it can be expected that a small number of skunks in Larimer County have rabies at any one time.

If only a small number of bats and skunks have rabies, why are humans and household pets also at risk of getting it?

Though the number of bats and skunks with rabies is small, exposure to sick animals are more likely than close exposure to a healthy one. It is more likely you will be exposed to a sick bat or skunk since they are often on the ground, moving slowly, or in places which they normally would avoid. It is possible that a person or a family pet could come in close contact with an infected animal (through a bite, a scratch or, with family pets, by playing with the sick animal). The infected animal could pass rabies virus to someone who handles it, is bitten or scratched by it, or has other contact with the animal's saliva.

Rabies shots (Rabies vaccination)

When people get "rabies shots," does this mean they have rabies?

No. Each summer a small number of Larimer County residents receive rabies post-exposure vaccine ("rabies shots") because it's very likely that they were exposed to the saliva of a rabid bat or other animal with rabies. Receiving the vaccine does not mean the person has rabies. The shots prevent the onset of rabies in a person who has likely been exposed to the virus.

Who should get rabies vaccine?

If the bat, skunk or other animal that bit the person was found and tested positive for rabies, it is always recommended that rabies vaccine be started immediately.
Sometimes it is recommended that a person receive the shots even when there is no proof that the bat or skunk had rabies. If a person has been bitten or scratched but is unable to contain the animal for testing, it's recommended that they undergo rabies vaccination as a precaution. There are other situations where rabies vaccination may be recommended. Your local health department can help you in determining if you need the shots. Remember, in situations when a bat is physically present and you cannot reasonably rule out having been bitten, safely contain the animal for rabies testing, call animal control (970-226-3647, Ext. 7) and seek medical attention immediately.
If you have been bitten by either a bat or a skunk or other aggressive animal you don't know, contain the animal (if possible to do it safely) and call animal control at 970-226-3647, #7 to pick it up for evaluation for rabies. Do NOT touch the animal.

I've heard that the rabies shots are given in the stomach and that there are 21 shots in all. Is that true?

No. Rabies shots are now given in the arm in a five-shot series.

Where do I go for a rabies vaccine?

If you require rabies vaccination, call your physician's office or a local emergency room. The health department does not administer rabies vaccine.

How long will it take to develop rabies after getting bit?

If vaccine has not been given, there can be up to a year between the time of the exposure and the time symptoms begin, but the time may be considerably less. By the time symptoms appear, it's too late for the vaccine to be effective.

Do I need to vaccinate my indoor pets for rabies if they never go outside?

Yes! All household pets should be kept up to date on their rabies vaccinations. Indoor pets can be bitten by a rabid bat that is in the house or they might escape outside where they could come in contact with a skunk or other rabid animal. Cats in particular like to play with or hunt animals on the ground. A rabid bat on the ground either indoor or outdoors could make an easy catch for a cat. If your pet is not up-to-date on rabies vaccination, they could face an expensive six-month quarantine or euthanasia.

Keep dogs leashed when hiking and walking in your neighborhood. Loose dogs may tangle with a rabid skunk without the owner being aware it has happened.

Rabies can be carried by dogs, cats, raccoons and skunks after being infected by an animal with rabies. Any infected animal can transmit the infection to humans by a bite.

Why are bats and skunks tested for rabies?

If a bat or skunk that has bitten or come in contact with a human tests positive for rabies, the exposed person can begin the vaccination series right away. If the test is negative (no rabies), the exposed person or animal will not need the vaccinations. If it is a household pet that is up to date on its rabies vaccine, it should receive a rabies booster. The pet's veterinarian should be contacted after the suspected or confirmed contact.

What to do if you have an encounter with a sick or dead animal?

Do not touch the animal!
Try to contain a bat in the room where it is found. Close the entrances to the room or place a box over it. Bat Conservation International, Inc. www.batcon.org has a useful video on how to safely capture a bat using a box.
Call the Larimer Humane Society's Animal Control number (226-3647, #7) to report the bat or aggressive skunk encounter. If they can locate it, they will remove it, and forward the information to the health department who will evaluate the need for testing.
If the bat or skunk or other aggressive animal has bitten or scratched you, wash the affected area immediately and call your doctor.

To prevent exposure to a bat or other animal with rabies

Never touch a wild bat or any other wild animal. A healthy bat wants to avoid humans, so a bat that is slow, lying on the ground, lands on a person or flies erratically could be showing signs of illness. Remember, any wild animal, including wild animal babies, should be left alone. If you are concerned, contact Wildkind at the Larimer Humane Society's Animal Control number, 226-3647, #7.
Keep your doors and windows covered with intact screens. Don't leave screenless doors or windows open in the evenings.
If you have bats in your house, try to find the source of their entrance and seal it. See www.cdc.gov/rabies/bats.html for information on making your home bat-proof.
If you find a dead bat, do not pick it up with your hands, even if you're wearing gloves. Use a shovel.
If you find a dead skunk, call animal control at 970-226-3647, #7.
Teach your children the value of bats, but also that they should never touch a bat. If they find one, they should leave it where it is and tell an adult.
If you are bitten by a bat or if you suspect you've been exposed to its saliva, try to contain the bat without further contact and call animal control at 970-226-3647, #7. If you've been bitten by a skunk or other wildlife or aggressive animal that cannot be contained, note where it has gone and call animal control.
Be sure your pets are up to date on their rabies vaccine. If your animals have not been vaccinated, call your veterinarian.

For More Information

Larimer Humane Society's Animal Control services: 970-226-3647, #7
http://www.larimerhumane.org

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/dc/zoonosis/rabies/index.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Infectious Diseases
Rabies Section www.cdc.gov/rabies/bats

Bat Conservation International, Inc.
www.batcon.org