Officials place dogs under quarantine after concerning discovery in US region: 'Important that you seek immediate medical attention'

Two dogs have been quarantined in Camden County, New Jersey, after encountering a rabid skunk, NJ.com reported.

What's happening?

In August, a resident of Gibbsboro contacted local officials to report an interaction between their two dogs and a skunk in their backyard.

An Animal Control Officer responded to the scene and successfully captured the skunk for testing. That testing revealed the skunk was infected with rabies.

As a result, both dogs had to be quarantined.

The owner had documented proof that one of the dogs had been vaccinated for rabies, which required it to be quarantined for 45 days.

The second dog must be quarantined for a period of four months. Both pets were given rabies boosters after encountering the rabid skunk.

Why is a rabid skunk so concerning?

Alarmingly, the outlet reported that the incident marked the sixth case of rabies diagnosed in animals in Camden County to date in 2025.

Three days after NJ.com published that story, NBC News reported that rabies cases were rising across several states, citing cases in areas as far-flung as Arizona, Kentucky, and Long Island, New York.

The physical range by itself was alarming — while Long Island and New Jersey are geographically adjacent, both are nowhere near Arizona and Kentucky.

Moreover, NBC indicated six deaths from rabies had occurred in the most recent 12-month span, which the Centers for Disease Control warned was "the highest number in years."

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In all, there are outbreaks of rabies in no fewer than 11 states, according to the CDC's rabies team head, Dr. Ryan Wallace.

A study published in 2022 examined ecological factors influencing the spread of rabies, noting that when "the ambient temperature goes up, so does the number of reported cases of rabies." As the planet overheats and average temperatures rise, rabies proliferates.

NBC News made a similar observation about habitat loss in its coverage of rabies outbreaks in North Carolina. ​​Scott LaVigne, health director in Franklin County, observed that rapid development in response to population growth contributed to the uptick in rabies.

"The population of Franklin County since 2010 has increased 35%, and those people have to live somewhere. And so you're seeing increased land development," LaVigne explained.

What can be done about it?

As NBC pointed out, the illness is particularly concerning because rabies "is almost always fatal once symptoms start."

Prevention and early detection are a matter of life or death when it comes to rabies, something Camden County Health Department liaison Virginia Betteridge stressed in a statement to NJ.com. 

"Although rabies is a serious illness, it can be prevented by early treatment. If you have been bitten or scratched by a wild animal it is important that you seek immediate medical attention," Betteridge said.

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