Skunk tests positive for rabies near the American River Parkway — and popular spot for families
A skunk that was found “staggering” last week near the American River Parkway and a popular family destination tested positive for rabies following a necropsy, Sacramento County officials reported Friday.
The animal was found “showing neurologic signs” on June 19 near a state Department of Fish and Wildlife facility on Nimbus Road in Gold River. While officials did not disclose the facility’s specific location, it matches the area of the Nimbus Fish Hatchery.
Fish and wildlife staff humanely euthanized the skunk and sent it to the state Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory in Davis for testing, a county report said. The test results came back positive on Tuesday.
As of May 31, the California Department of Public Health reported 38 total cases of rabies found in animals in the state this year, with five cases in Sacramento County — four in skunks and one in a house cat. There have been no human cases reported in the county in 2024.
Last year, the state saw a total of 202 animal rabies cases. Sacramento County had 12 bats and two skunks test positive in 2023, according to state figures.
Rabies is a fatal nervous system disease caused by a viral infection, typically spread to humans and other animals through bites and scratches from an infected animal. The animals most likely to spread the disease in the U.S. are bats, skunks, foxes and raccoons, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It is critical to seek immediate medical attention if you have received a scratch or bite from a wild animal. Post-exposure treatment is available and nearly 100% effective in humans, but it must be administered soon after infection. Once symptoms of the disease begin showing, it is nearly always fatal.
Initial symptoms of rabies in humans are similar to a cold or the flu but symptoms progress to agitation, confusion, difficulty swallowing and excessive salivation, among others, according to Mayo Clinic.
In animals, rabies presents with fearfulness, aggression, excessive drooling, difficulty swallowing, staggering, paralysis and seizures, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Sacramento County officials encourage visitors to the American River Parkway to avoid contact with wild animals, report any sick or injured wildlife with unusual behaviors to local animal control or wildlife officials, and to immediately wash any animal bites or scratches and seek medical attention.
If you have been bitten by an animal believed to be infected with rabies, you can contact the county at 311 or 916-875-4311.
