Rabid skunks, bats & foxes in NM

Rabies is being reported in New Mexico with the confirmation that a skunk that bit a Tatum man was rabid, as was a bat found in the Las Cruces area. The man was bitten late last month while working on his car in front of his Tatum home, but has received rabies treatment and is doing well, said the head of Lea County's environmental services, Randy Smith. The state Department of Health confirmed the skunk was rabid Wednesday. It was the second rabid skunk in Lea County this year. Earlier this year, a dog killed a skunk that also tested positive. Two cats that possibly came into contact with the rabid bat in the Las Cruces area had to be destroyed because their rabies vaccinations were not up to date, said state public health veterinarian Dr. Paul Ettestad. Since rabies can be prevented but not cured, the Department of Health has urged people to vaccinate pets and livestock. Rabies is a viral disease that affects the nervous system of mammals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. It is fatal in humans if left untreated. A Hobbs veterinarian, Dr. Marvin Albright, said cats probably expose humans to rabies more often than does any other animal. "Cats and dogs are out at night more often and come into contact with skunks more frequently. So get your pets vaccinated," he said. "The vaccines do work." The bat in Doña Ana County was the first confirmed case of rabies in that county this year. The last case in the county, also in a bat, was in 2007. Several foxes, two bobcats and a coyote have tested positive for rabies in Grant County this year. Rabies in foxes has been a problem in Arizona for decades and was first detected in New Mexico in the Glenwood area of Catron County in 2007...AP