A rabid horse in El Paso County, Colo., has been euthanized and the County Department of Health and Environment is underscoring the critical importance of vaccinating pets and livestock and avoiding wild animals.

“Rabies infection in horses is rare,” said Public Health Director Kandi Buckland, RN, MPA. “We anticipate that the infection was caused by skunk rabies, which greatly concerns us because it would indicate that rabies is not only spreading in the county, but also crossing animal species and increasing the risk to people.”

Rabies was confirmed through lab tests after the horse was euthanized Friday. Public health experts believe that the horse was exposed to a skunk on its home property in Black Forest area.

Colorado has not recorded a horse with rabies in at least 25 years, said officials at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

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