Video of contact with possibly rabid skunk in B.C. prompts health authority warning

VANCOUVER — Vancouver Coastal Health is warning anyone in the city’s downtown who has had contact with a possibly rabid skunk to get a medical assessment immediately after a video emerged on social media.

The video posted on Facebook on Oct. 10 shows a skunk struggling to cross a Vancouver street, attracting a number of bystanders before a man picked up the animal using a sweater and moved it onto the sidewalk.

On Wednesday, Vancouver Coastal Health reported a skunk captured in the city’s downtown has tested positive for rabies, but it is unclear if it’s the same animal shown in the Facebook video.

The health authority says a small number of people were bitten by the skunk and have been assessed, as well as receiving rabies vaccinations and immunoglobulin as a precaution.