Colorado Springs Officials Urge Pet Owners to Vaccinate Amid Rabies Outbreak

El Paso County Public Health officials reported today that reports of six skunks infected with rabies have come in since Jan. 1, with one showing up in the central Powers Boulevard corridor.

“Based on the locations of where these rabid skunks are being found, we know rabies is being detected in both rural and urban parts of the county," executive director Kandi Buckland said in a press release.

Buckland urges pet owners to get their animals vaccinated against rabies, which is the only sure way to protect them from the fatal disease. Infected animals then put humans at risk for getting rabies. Medication is available for people known or suspected to have been bitten by a rabid animal, but once rabies symptoms appear, the disease is almost always fatal.

Until a few years ago, there had been no cases of skunk rabies in El Paso County for almost 40 years. But the number of reports has continued to grow since 2009, and public health officials warn that there are likely many more infected animals that have not been detected.

Last year, there were 17 reports of rabid animals, include eight cases of bat rabies. So far this year, there have been seven reports, including six skunks and a fox infected with skunk rabies.

PROTECT YOUR PET and YOUR FAMILY AGAINST RABIES NOW
To make sure your pets and family are safe from this deadly disease, please visit one of our Vet Vaccination Clinics at PETCO or PetSense in the Colorado Springs area. A single rabies vaccinations at one of our VETCO and ProtectMypet clinics is only $13 (plus the required $2 biohazard disposal fee). No appointment needed.  Click here to find locations and dates. Or please visit your veterinarian as soon as possible.
 

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