Warning issued after skunk with rabies bites man in Vancouver

A man has been bitten by a rabid skunk in Vancouver’s West End, leading to a call for anyone else who may have been bitten or scratched by the skunk to immediately contact Vancouver Coastal Health or go to an emergency room.

Vancouver resident Guerric Haché said he was volunteering for the municipal election on Oct. 17 when he noticed a group of people gathered around a sickly-looking skunk in some bushes near the corner of Comox and Bute.

“It was sort of flopping around a little bit and behaving strangely,’ said Haché, who by chance is a naturalist who has worked with bats and has been immunized against rabies.

“It got up and looked at me and walked right over and it bit my leg and then it bit my shoe.”

Haché contacted Critter Care Wildlife Society and remained with the skunk until it was captured.

“Once they took it away I went over the St. Paul’s (Hospital) to get the pre-exposure prophylactic shots for rabies.”

Haché said local residents told him the skunk had been around for a few days and may have bitten another person.

The skunk was euthanized by a veterinarian because it had a broken jaw and was then sent for testing.

On Wednesday evening, the health authority revealed that “a small number of people” had been bitten by a skunk with rabies that was captured in downtown Vancouver.

“While interactions with skunks are rare, a small number of people bitten by the skunk have been assessed and received rabies vaccinations and immunoglobulin to prevent rabies,” the health authority said in a news release.

“Anyone who may have been bitten or scratched, handled, picked up or otherwise had direct contact with a sick or abnormally behaving skunk in downtown Vancouver, West End and Stanley Park area between Sept. 22 and Oct. 17, 2026, should contact VCH immediately for assessment.”

Vancouver Coastal Health can be reached during business hours at 604-675-3900.

After hours, anyone at risk should visit the nearest emergency room.

Haché said that neither of the bites to his leg and foot drew blood.

Pet owners are also being asked to contact a veterinarian immediately if their dog or cat has been bitten, scratched or had recent direct contact with a skunk in those parts of Vancouver.

In B.C., rabies is usually associated with bats. However, bats can infect other animals through bites and scratches. The deadly virus cannot be transferred through feces or urine.

Rabies infections in people are extremely rare in Canada. Infection is fatal but can be prevented when rabies vaccines and/or rabies immunoglobulin are administered promptly after an exposure.

In 2019, a man died on Vancouver Island six weeks after contracting rabies from a bat.

According to Health Canada, 28 people have died from rabies in Canada since 1924. Of those, two were in B.C.

Last month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory in response to recent reports of increases in human exposures to rabid or potentially rabid animals.

dcarrigg@postmedia.com