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AURORA, Colo. -- Rabid skunk sightings are being reported across the metro Denver area.

Three cases have been reported in Aurora over the past several weeks, with the most recent being confirmed Tuesday in the Del Mar Park area near the intersection of East 6th Avenue and Peoria Street.

Jefferson County is also reporting its first positive rabies test results ever in a skunk. The animal was collected in Arvada near Sheridan Boulevard and West 70th Avenue.

But even more alarming are the encounters being reported in south Aurora near Southlands Mall, where a 2-year-old boy was attacked and a 6-year-old girl was chased into her home.

"I just looked over the edge of the stairs and thought, my gosh, there's a skunk in my house. This isn't even real. Please don't spray in my house, please don't spray in my house," Annika Kleibo said.

Kleibo was on the phone, paying a bill, when she heard her 6-year-old daughter shrieking outside, running toward their home, with a skunk right behind her.

"It was on its hind legs, making noise, hissing like a cat. It followed her all the way into the house," Kleibo said.

Kleibo's husband rushed downstairs. The skunk was already three-quarters of the way up the stairs.

"And the skunk comes up to meet him, and he starts to kick it and it grabs his foot with his mouth," Kleibo said.

Little did they know, just a block down the street, a 2-year-old boy named Aiden had been attacked.

"I got scared. I didn't know what to do," said the boy's father, Jose Castro. "He was crying and when we turned around we seen the skunk and he had him by the leg and was shaking him. I picked him up and just started kicking it."

Health officials believe the skunk had rabies, one of numerous reports popping up across the metro area. That's why they are urging everyone to be on alert. Rabies encounters involving humans are very rare; they're more common with pets.

John Douglas with the Tri-County Health Department said one important thing people can do is make sure pets are up to date with their rabies vaccines. He also said people should stay away from skunks exhibiting any strange activity.

The Denver area started seeing rabid skunks 10 to 12 years ago. Douglas said the rabies endemic in animals appears to be moving from the east to west, filtering into Colorado from other states.

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