Ponder residents should avoid any skunks they might see, in light of four confirmed rabies cases.

The Denton County Health Department reported Thursday that four skunks found in the Ponder area were confirmed rabid after being tested by county animal control deputies.

The testing came after reports that several household pets had suffered skunk bites.

Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tom Reedy said the attacks happened between April 15 and June 5, and that the skunks underwent testing after being killed by the pets or shot by pet owners.

No human has been infected, but Betsy Haggard, a spokeswoman for the health department, said one pet was euthanized after being bitten because it had not been vaccinated.

“If people don’t want to lose their family pets, they need to get them vaccinated,” she said.

Haggard said this problem is a common summer occurrence, and it warrants special notice because of the season.

“Since school’s out, we’ve got more kiddos out playing,” she said. “It’s just a concern to us from a human standpoint.”

Rabies can cause nocturnal creatures — like skunks, foxes, coyotes, raccoons and bats — to become active during the day.

Another clear sign of rabies is when any animal bites or scratches an old wound until it bleeds. Other signs of rabies include a change in behavior; difficulty in walking, eating or drinking; or excitement or meanness.

For a human, rabies symptoms include fever, malaise, vomiting, headache, pain, itching, and numbness and tingling of a wound site.

The health department has access to the human rabies vaccine only through its regional Department of State Health Services office in Arlington, Haggard said. Getting vaccine for a human victim in the Denton area would involve transporting the medicine.

“We have medications and treatments available for rabies, but we would rather people not have to go through it if they didn’t have to, obviously,” Haggard said.

Residents are urged to report possible rabies cases by calling 911.

GREG RUSSELL can be reached at 940-566-6861. His e-mail address is grussell@dentonrc.com .