Skunk in the Kootenay Lake region tests positive for rabies

Interior Health (IH) is advising people in the Kootenay Lake region to avoid contact with skunks and take precautions following confirmation of rabies in a skunk in the area.

On Sept. 17, 2026, IH and the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) confirmed rabies in a skunk in the Kootenay Lake region. The skunk is believed to have been infectious between Aug. 15 and Sept. 4, 2026.

While interactions with skunks are extremely rare, IH has assessed and treated a small number of individuals who may have been exposed in the Kootenay Lake region, and is asking anyone who had contact with a skunk in this geographic area to come forward for assessment.

Anyone who was bitten or scratched by a skunk in the Kootenay Lake region should immediately contact your local public health office, visit a primary care provider or go to an emergency department, especially if contact occurred after Aug. 15, 2026.

For other skunk interactions, including contact without a bite or scratch or exposures elsewhere in the Interior region, visit Diseases from Animals & Insects to determine whether medical assessment is needed, or call HealthLink BC at 811 for advice from a health professional.

Any domestic animals or pets bitten or scratched by a skunk should be seen by a veterinarian.

Rabies is a serious viral infection which affects the brain and nervous system. The rabies virus is found in the saliva and nervous system tissue of an infected animal. Rabies is usually spread through a bite or, less commonly, a scratch from an infected animal.

Rabies virus is not transmitted through exposure to the spray, urine or feces of infected skunks in B.C. Bats are the only known reservoirs of rabies, meaning they can carry the disease and pass it on without showing signs of the disease themselves. Occasional spillovers to other animal species have occurred in B.C.

Rabies infections in people are extremely rare in B.C. and Canada. Infections are usually fatal, but preventable when vaccines are administered promptly after an exposure.

How to protect yourself and others from rabies:

• Do not approach, touch or feed wild or unfamiliar animals, especially those that look sick or wounded. Do not touch or handle dead animals.
• Do not pick up or handle bats as bites and scratches from an infected bat can lead to rabies exposure.
• If you are bitten or scratched by a bat, skunk or any wild animal, wash the wound with soap and warm water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical care immediately.

How to protect your pets from rabies:

• Vaccinate all pets against rabies regularly.
• Supervise pets when outdoors and keep pets away from wild animals (e.g. dogs on leash).
• Keep pet food indoors or in a secured area to avoid attracting wild animals.
• If your pet is bitten or scratched by a wild animal, consult with your veterinarian immediately.

If you observe a skunk or wild animal acting abnormally, please contact the BC RAPP line at 1-877-952-RAPP (7277). The animal may appear disoriented, sick or injured, or may be stumbling, active during unusual times of day, show no fear of people, or unusually aggressive.

To learn more about the signs and symptoms of rabies in people and animals, what to do if you or a pet is scratched or bitten by a bat or skunk, or to report wildlife-human interactions where public safety may be at risk, visit the following resources:

• BCCDC website - Rabies
• WildSafe BC - Skunks
• BC RAPP Line
• BC Wildlife Health and Alerts