What animals may transmit rabies to humans?
Any animal that is infected with Rabies may transmit it to humans. In Arkansas, the most commonly infected animals are skunks and bats. Rabies in raccoons is rare in Arkansas and has only been documented once. Arkansas does not have the raccoon variant, or type, of rabies, which is very common in all of the eastern states. But this does not mean a raccoon cannot get rabies from skunks or bats, and contact with raccoons should be avoided. Opossums and rodents almost never have Rabies, and a bite does not require postexposure Rabies treatment unless the brain tests positive for Rabies virus. Questions about individual cases should be referred to the Zoonotic Disease Section for consultation (501-280-4136).
