Rabies case confirmed in Webster County

John Huthmacher
johnh@hastingstribune.com
A rabid skunk found dead Monday in a horse pen near Blue Hill is the first confirmed case of rabies in Webster County in 2010.
The juvenile skunk was sent to Kansas State University’s veterinary diagnostic laboratory for testing on Monday by Pat Wahlmeier, a veterinarian from the Animal Clinic in Hastings. The positive finding makes the skunk the 34th confirmed case of rabies in the state this year.
“It was already dead, so the family who found it didn’t see any unusual action or symptoms or anything,” Wahlmeier said this morning. “They thought there was a light wound on one of their horses and they wanted to know — if there were any more skunks — if they needed to worry or not.”
Marla Augustine, spokesperson for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, said this morning the horse that may have been bitten was vaccinated. More than half of the state’s confirmed rabies cases have involved skunks, she said.
To report a possible exposure to rabies from wildlife, call Spencer Nelson of USDA Wildlife Services in Nelson at 402-225-2253. Bever can be reached at South Heartland at 462-6211.