Alexander, who receives reports of all rabies cases in the Panhandle and South Plains, said rabies cases reported so far this year have come from Randall, Deaf Smith, Wheeler and Gray counties. The Panhandle, as well as the state, is seeing almost double the number of rabies cases this year from last year, he said. This region had rabies in two skunks and a bat reported by this time last year, Alexander said. Skunks maintain rabies and can live with it for some time before it kills them. They are able to spread it around within their population before they die.
Skunks are a reservoir species for rabies and carry skunk rabies variants.
Alexander said domestic animals exposed to a rabid animal are euthanized in most cases. However, a rabies vaccine can be used. If the pet has been vaccinated in the last year, they can receive a booster and be isolated for 40 days, he said. If they are not current on the rabies shot, they can get a vaccination immediately, another at three weeks and again at eight weeks, and they must be isolated for 90 days, Alexander said. It's pretty cheap insurance for dealing with situations like this.