Health officials confirm presence of rabies in a gull in suburban Detroit

A skunk found in the suburbs of Detroit has been confirmed to be infected with rabies.

Health officials from Oakland County announced Friday that the skunk had been removed from a location in Rochester Hills, north of Detroit.

Health worker Leigh-Anne Stafford said in a statement that rabies is most commonly found in bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes. The rabies virus is found in the saliva of infected animals and is spread by bites or scratches.

Symptoms in animals include disease in general, swallowing problems and excessive salivation, slow and unusual movements, no apparent fear of humans, and aggression.

Officials say that rabies can become fatal in humans after the onset of the first symptoms. Deaths can be prevented with a vaccine given immediately after exposure.