State health officials are warning people in Pima and Santa Cruz counties to be on the lookout for rabid skunks.
Epidemiologist Selam Tecle says there have already been 13 confirmed cases of rabid skunks compared to 17 for all of last year.
“Typically it’s cyclic, so we see low levels maybe one to two years and then a high level,” Tecle said. “Last year and the year before it was pretty low and this year we’ve started out with quite a bit of skunks.”
Tecle says bats, foxes, bobcats and coyotes can also be infected. She says the first sign of rabies is usually a change in the animal’s normal behavior, like losing their fear of humans.