A fox who bit a woman in Charlottesville last week is now suspected to have rabies, though the status of the fox in question is yet to be confirmed, Michele Napper, Thomas Jefferson Health District rabies program coordinator, said.
Friday morning on Leonard Street, a woman sustained bite wounds to her lower leg from a fox. Later that morning, the animal control officer responded to a report of an aggressive fox on Monticello Road. The fox seen on Monticello Road was caught, euthanized and tested positive for rabies.
However, it cannot be determined whether the victim was in fact bitten by a rabid fox, because the fox captured was not found at the scene of the incident, Napper said.
“At the time that the person was bitten it was earlier in the morning, the animal ran off and a fox was later seen and that is the one that we captured,” Napper said. “But I can't say that that was the same fox that someone was exposed to earlier in the morning because it wasn't captured at the time the incident took place.”
Determining whether a human has been infected with rabies is much more difficult for injuries from wild animals than those from domestic animals. Because incubation periods for wildlife are uncertain, it is crucial for the animal to be caught, euthanized and tested for rabies as soon as possible after it comes into contact with a human, Napper said. If the animal is unable to be located, post exposure rabies treatment is usually recommended for victims.
It is not uncommon for a wild animal to test positive for rabies; last year, two raccoons in the Charlottesville area tested positive, Napper said. Foxes are one of several high-risk species, among raccoons, skunks and bats.
“I can't remember [any time] in my career where we’ve had this type of an issue with the concentration we’ve had,” Lieutenant Stephen Upman, Charlottesville Police Department police information officer, said.
Upman recommended avoiding wild animals for safety purposes.
“Not all wild animals have been affected, but [with] what we're seeing in the last few weeks, just keeping your distance is probably the best bet,” Upman said.
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