Rabies confirmed in Kootenay Lake skunk - Interior Health

September 18 2026 - Interior Health and the B.C. Centre for Disease Control confirmed rabies in a skunk in the Kootenay Lake region on Sept. 17.

The animal is believed to have been infectious between Aug. 15 and Sept. 4.

Interior Health says it has assessed and treated a small number of people who may have been exposed and is asking anyone who had contact with a skunk in that area to come forward for assessment.

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

Pets bitten or scratched by a skunk should be seen by a veterinarian.

According to Interior Health, rabies is a serious viral infection of the brain and nervous system. It is found in the saliva and nervous system tissue of an infected animal and is usually spread by a bite or, less commonly, a scratch.

The virus is not transmitted through spray, urine, or feces of infected skunks in B.C.

BCCDC states that bats are the only known reservoirs of rabies in B.C. Occasional spillover to other species has occurred.

Human rabies infections remain extremely rare in B.C. and Canada. They are usually fatal but preventable if vaccine is given promptly after exposure.

Interior Health advises people not to approach, touch, or feed wild or unfamiliar animals, and to report wildlife acting abnormally to the BC RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.

Rabies confirmed in Kootenay Lake skunk - Interior Health