DELMAR — A Delmar man was attacked and bitten by what was presumably a rabid skunk as he sat down to read in his backyard last Sunday morning.
John Tobison shared on social media that he was sitting quietly reading in his backyard when he observed a skunk charging him from across the yard on Sunday, Sept. 4.
“I froze thinking he’d just run past me,” he stated. “[But,] he proceeded to jump on me and chew on my ankle until I finally kicked him off and ran.”
The Delmar man was initially concerned about being sprayed before heading to the hospital where he would begin a series of immunoglobulin shots.
Bethlehem Animal Control responded to the scene, but was unable to locate the mammal.
The threat of rabies is a growing concern during the spring and summer months. In particular, the Albany County Health Department has issued advisories for residents to be aware of bats, which are also carriers of the virus.
For more information call the Albany County Department of Health at 518-447-4620 or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov/rabies external website or the NYS Rabies Lab at www.wadsworth.org/rabies/ external website.
