POCAHONTAS, Ark. – A case of rabies has been confirmed in Randolph County following a wild incident involving a skunk, the city said in a release on social media.
The City of Pocahontas shared the information on their Facebook page on Friday. On March 28, Pocahontas Animal Control received a call of a skunk chasing and trying to attack people in the area of the Dollar Store on Highway 62. Animal Control was able to shoot the skunk and send it to the Little Rock laboratory for examination for rabies virus. According to the post from the city, the skunk came back to be positive, which means the local area had a positive specimen roaming the area for a certain time and could have came in contact with feral cats and people’s pets that are outside.
The city asks residents to be aware of this and contact Pocahontas Animal Control if you come in contact with any sick or strange acting animals in the area. They also asks to be sure your pets are vaccinated for rabies, as it is also required by law.
Do they still vaccinate humans for rabies if they get into contact with an animal like that? Also, how long does that vaccine last?