'All it takes is one bite': Orange Co. receives positive rabies test after fox attack Sunday
Orange County Animal Services received a positive rabies test Tuesday afternoon after a wild animal attack Sunday.
According to the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health. the incident involved a fox and occurred on Schley Road in Hillsborough, NC.
This case originated on Sunday, July 9, when the fox had an altercation with a dog and the dog’s owner.
"The person was outside with his dog and my understanding is that they were there for recreation," a spokesperson for Orange County Animal Services.
The spokesperson said that while foxes are very curious, even bold at times, they are not normally aggressive.
"This fox suddenly appeared and was being very aggressive, which is not normal," the spokesperson said. "Fox attacks on people, including children, are rare."
The spokesperson said the owner of the dog was injured by the fox and sought medical treatment, but could not provide other medical information or details.
Animal Control was contacted and they removed the fox for rabies testing.
How to tell if an animal has rabies and what to do if you're exposed
Page Wages, a veterinarian with Care First Animal Hospital, stressed the importance of getting treated for rabies immediately after exposure.
"All it takes is one bite," Wages said. "If an animal is not vaccinated and they are exposed, then they can shed it. [Rabies] kills people all over the world on an annual basis."
Wages said foxes and raccoons are some of the biggest spreaders of the diseases, and gave some tips on what to look out for if you suspect an animal has rabies.
"If you see them out during weird hours during the day," Wages explained. "They're kind of wandering around and drooling sometimes. Sometimes they are neurologic, they sway back and forth and act just a bit different."
Greg Batts with the NC Wildlife Commission said animals with some cases of rabies don't have to bite you to spread it.
"There's also a passive form," Batts said. "It can walk around, spaced out."
Batts said rabies is nearly 100% fatal and it's not something you want to mess around with.
The best solution, according to Wages, is to make sure your pets are vaccinated and if you're exposed, get an exposure vaccine as soon as possible.
"Make sure that your own pets at home, cats and dogs, are vaccinated," Wages said. "If they get bit and come into the house, they could expose everybody and you're all doing the shots together."
