El Paso County dog tests positive for rabies

A dog in El Paso County tested positive for rabies on March 15.

The El Paso County Public Health Department says individuals and animals who have been exposed to the rabid dog have been assessed and are receiving preventative vaccinations.

At this time, El Paso County has not given the exact location of the dog.

The department reports the dog was administered a rabies vaccine by its owner, not a licensed veterinarian. Self-administering a rabies vaccine that has been purchased at a store, does not guarantee protection against rabies and the pet will be considered unvaccinated.

In El Paso County, the law requires all domestic animals to be vaccinated for rabies by a licensed veterinarian.

Rabies is a viral disease that infects the brain and other parts of the central nervous system, causing brain swelling and damage, and ultimately death.

This year a dog, skunk, and fox have tested positive for rabies in El Paso County. The last reported case of a rabid dog in El Paso County was in 1974.