Orange County has received its fourth positive rabies case of 2016 after a Rougemont woman was bitten on her ankle by a skunk.
Animal Services officials say the case originated on Monday when the resident was bitten while watering flowers outside her home. The woman was able to “shake the skunk away from her ankle,” according to a release. Officials say the skunk reappeared when the couple was leaving for the hospital and the husband shot and killed the skunk.
The skunk was taken to Animal Control for rabies testing and came back positive from the state lab.
A communicable disease nurse from the Orange County Health Department has been in contact with the residents to evaluate their risk of rabies exposure and the need for post-exposure prophylaxis that protect people from rabies, according to a release.
The county had 10 positive rabies cases last year, which was drastically down from 23 the year before.
Orange County Animal Services hosts low-cost rabies clinics; you can see the full schedule here.
