The Kingfisher County Health Department issued a warning last week after a skunk trapped in the county tested positive for rabies.

The skunk was captured by homeowners southeast of Hennessey March 2.

The homeowners posted on Facebook that the skunk was chasing their dogs and horses before they captured it and took it to be tested.

“This is the first rabies-positive case found in the area,” Diana Hernandez, health department public information officer, said.

Rabies is an acute viral infection that is transmitted to humans or mammals usually through the saliva from a bite of an infected animal. Rabies can also be contracted when saliva from a rabid animal comes in contact with breaks in the skin or if a person comes in contact with brain tissue.

Skunks and bats are the primary carriers of rabies in Oklahoma, both of which can be wide-ranging and have the opportunity to infect many other animals.

Rabies-infected animals can appear very aggressive or may act very tame.

They may also exhibit the classic sign of foaming at the mouth or drooling, but not always.

Any wildlife that is acting abnormally should be reported and avoided. Animals can also transmit rabies days before showing symptoms. It is critical that persons exposed to rabies seek immediate medical at tention and be treated with a series of shots called rabies post-exposure prophylaxis.

Rabies vaccines are available for dogs, cats, ferrets, sheep, cattle, and horses. Oklahoma requires a veterinarian to vaccinate dogs, cats, and ferrets against rabies by the time the animal is 4 months of age, and at regular intervals thereafter.

Acute Disease Services at the Oklahoma State Department of Health employs a team of epidemiologists who are on-call 24/7 to answer questions regarding rabies exposure risks for humans or animals or to find out if an animal should be tested for rabies at (405) 426-8710.

For additional information about how to submit animal samples for rabies testing, call the OSDH/ OADDL Rabies Lab at (405) 744-6623.