County health department officials are looking for anyone who may have had contact with a rabid skunk in Catalina State Park.
The skunk was found Tuesday in the middle of a hiking trail at the park, 11570 N. Oracle Road. The trail is heavily used by hikers and dog walkers, Rhonda Bodfield, a Pima County spokeswoman, said in a news release.
A park ranger notified the Pima Animal Care Center about the skunk. When an Animal Care officer arrived about 10:40 a.m., the skunk was still in the trail and surrounded by about 30 people and multiple pets.
“At this time it is uncertain if any humans or their pets had physical contact with the skunk, and officials do not know how long the animal had been in the area,” Bodfield said.
Anyone who touched the skunk, or whose pet had contact with the skunk, should call the county Health Department at 243-7797 to receive a risk assessment and recommendations to prevent infection.
Humans usually get rabies from a bite, scratch or other direct physical contact with saliva or other secretion from an infected animal.
“It may take a few weeks or even a few years for people to show symptoms after being infected with rabies,” which is usually fatal, Bodfield said.
Those who have touched an animal suspected of having rabies should immediately call Pima Animal Care at 243-5900 or the Arizona Game and Fish Department at 1-800-352-0700.
