Skunk in downtown Vancouver that bit people tests positive for rabies

VANCOUVER — A skunk that bit a number of people in downtown Vancouver has tested positive for rabies.

Vancouver Coastal Health issued a news release notifying the public of the confirmed case on Wednesday.

It says the small number of people bitten by the skunk have been assessed and received rabies vaccinations and immunoglobulin to prevent the viral infection that affects the brain and nervous system.

The health authority says rabies virus is found in the saliva of infected animals and can be transmitted through a bite or a scratch from an infected animal.