Karen Martin Posted: Sat Nov 24 2007 1:00 p.m. Post subject: Porcupine Quills in the Face as an Indicator of Rabies Virus Infection Porcupine Quills in the Face as an Indicator of Rabies Virus Infection A large adult striped skunk (M. mephitis) was submitted to the Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory for rabies diagnostics from Tioga County on 11-27. The skunk had numerous porcupine quills in the face and upper body and tested positive for rabies. It is interesting to note that all of the dozens of raccoons and a whitetail deer submitted to PVL in the last three decades with porcupine quills in the face also tested positive for rabies. This is the first recorded instance of a skunk submitted to PVL with embedded porcupine quills in that time frame. This finding does not indicate that porcupines or porcupine quills harbor the rabies virus; in fact, no porcupine has been reported positive for rabies in Pennsylvania since 1900. It is likely that clinically rabid animals simply lose their natural caution regarding contact with porcupines as the virus begins to compromise normal brain function. Any wild animal encountered with embedded porcupine quills should be considered potentially rabid.

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Friday, November 30, 2007