Skunk With Rabies Found In North Brunswick

NORTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — Yet another rabid animal found in Middlesex County this September: A skunk found acting strangely in North Brunswick has tested positive for the rabies virus, the county health department announced.

The skunk was found last Friday, Sept. 22 acting erratically in the vicinity of Farrington Blvd. and Hoover Avenue in North Brunswick. The animal died of natural causes shortly after being trapped by Animal Control and was sent to the New Jersey Department of Health Laboratory for testing. It was reported on Tuesday, September 26 that the skunk tested positive for rabies. This is the tenth rabid animal reported within Middlesex County for 2017 and the second rabid animal in North Brunswick.

Other recent rabies incidents nearby:

• Five people were exposed trying to catch a rabid bat flying around a home in East Brunswick on Sept. 17
• Rabid raccoon gets into a fight with a dog in Middletown Township, NJ on Sept. 6
• A raccoon was acting very aggressively in a North Brunswick backyard on Aug. 30 and was killed by a dog. The raccoon was later found to have rabies.

There are no confirmed or possible human exposures and no domestic animal exposures to the skunk in this instance. Middlesex County will be distributing rabies fact sheets within the area.

Image via Morguefile