[teenerted1]

Rabid skunk discovered in Mora County

State officials are warning livestock owners in Mora County and the rest of northeastern New Mexico to vaccinate animals against rabies after a skunk found 20 miles west of Wagon Mound tested positive for rabies this week.

The New Mexico Department of Health said several unvaccinated work dogs were potentially exposed and "may need to be euthanized to prevent them from developing rabies and exposing people or livestock to this fatal disease."

A rancher notified a state game officer about "a strange acting skunk on his property," a news release said. The animal later tested positive for rabies at the department's Scientific Laboratory Division.

It was the first reported case involving a rabid skunk in Mora County based on records that go back to 1966. A bat in Mora County tested positive for rabies in 2011.

Rabies is a deadly viral disease that affects all mammals and can be prevented, but not cured. The vast majority of reported cases occur in wild animals. State law mandates rabies vaccination of dogs and cats.