Skunk Found Rabies Positive

From the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association website:

State Lab Confirms Rabies Positive Skunk in Washington County
The laboratory of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has confirmed a rabies positive skunk submitted from northwest Washington County. The skunk was submitted to the state lab on Sept. 12 after it aggressively charged a homeowner and his dog in the backyard of the residence.
This is the second reported skunk incident in Washington County in recent days; the first incident occurred on September 10 in rural Washington County when a resident and her pet were both attacked and bitten by an aggressive skunk outside her home. The skunk escaped and was not available for rabies testing. The homeowner is currently undergoing preventive rabies testing as a precaution, and the pet has received a rabies booster and is under home quarantine for 45 days.
This is the second confirmed case of rabies in eastern Colorado this year. State health officials note that this skunk was found within about seven miles of the Platte River drainage; like many diseases, rabies moves easily along riparian areas, making the introduction of skunk rabies into the Front Range via the Platte and/or Poudre rivers a very real possibility.

We will be keeping a close eye on this development, as the skunk variant of rabies may pose a significant threat to pets and livestock in Weld County. In the mean time, make sure your pet's rabies vaccinations are up to date, and as we said in June, "most wild animals, who are otherwise uninjured, allow humans to approach only when ill. The threat of rabies infection increases when an animal feels cornered or trapped and will lash out with its teeth in self defense. DO NOT approach sick wildlife- especially bats, a major vector for rabies in Colorado."

More info on rabies:
Rabies web brochure from the American Veterinary Medical Association
Colorado Department of Wildlife Bats and Rabies page
The CDC Rabies site
the CDC Rabies site for kids