Fannin County Environmental Health officials announced today that a skunk from the area has tested positive for rabies.

According to Shannon Bradburn of Fannin County Environmental Health, a resident on Daves Road off Highway 60 in Morganton heard his dogs yelping on the night of December 25 and he went outside to investigate. The resident saw a skunk attacking his female dog and her two puppies, so he retrieved his gun and killed the skunk.

Early the next morning, Saturday, December 26, Mr. Bradburn was notified of the incident and advised the resident to put the skunk in a plastic bag and place it in a cool area until it could be collected the next business day. Mr. Bradburn obtained the skunk on Monday, December 28 and had it shipped to the state laboratory to be tested for rabies.

“I was then notified on Tuesday, December 29th that the skunk was positive for rabies,” stated Mr. Bradburn, “and I alerted the dogs’ owner of the results.”

Since the mother dog and her puppies were not vaccinated for rabies, the owner has chosen to euthanize the dogs and will report to the local environmental health office when this has been completed.

Health officials urge residents to maintain rabies vaccinations in their pets and to avoid all unfamiliar animals.

For more information about rabies, call the Fannin County Environmental Health Office at 706-632-3024 or log onto the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at www.cdc.gov.

Persons who may be exposed to rabies may also call Georgia Poison Control at 1-800 - 222-1222 if other local resources cannot be reached.