When I first found out I might be interviewing a man who was bitten by a skunk that tested positive for rabies, I have to admit I was a little nervous.
Would he be contagious? Any chance I could get the disease?
After doing a little research, I found out no, it’s not contagious at this point. Because he got quick treatment, he doesn’t actually have rabies. (He needs to get a series of shots — and not in the stomach, like in years past — and he’ll be totally cured.)
When I met him at his door, he looked totally normal. He was joking with other family members about his misadventure with the skunk.
I promised not to use his name, or show his face in the story, because he says he is too embarrassed about what happened.
He was out walking his dog very early on Tuesday morning when he noticed the skunk. To make a long story short, the skunk ended up biting him on the foot. He killed the animal with some nearby rocks, bagged it up, and rushed to the hospital.
Health experts later tested the skunk and determined it had rabies.
The man will be fine as long as he continues his series of shots. And in the meantime, he will live a normal life.
He joked that he learned his lesson about staying away from wild animals. It’s a good lesson for others as well.
And by the way, one footnote to the story which I forgot to mention on TV… The skunk never sprayed him. Perhaps because the skunk was in the advanced stages of rabies and wasn’t able to defend itself as it otherwise would.
Gordon Gabs 