Rabid fox bites man in NC — the third attack in this county in weeks, officials say

A man was bitten by a fox that later tested positive for rabies, making him the third victim of a rabid fox attack in the same North Carolina county in less than a month, officials said.

The fox bit the man just before 6 a.m. on July 3 in Ash, according to a bite report from the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office. The animal was euthanized and tested positive for rabies on July 6. Ash is about 140 miles south of Raleigh.

The man, Shawn Gore, was visiting his parents when he encountered the animal, he told WECT.

“At the time, I didn’t know what it was,” he told the outlet. “I thought it was a cat, you know, at first, but it latched on to me and was not going to let go until I ripped it from my body.”

A rabid fox attacked two people in separate incidents in Brunswick County in late June. The animal was captured and euthanized, and both the bite victims received rabies vaccinations.

A rabid fox bit another person in May, according to the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office.

“All mammals are susceptible to rabies,” but in North Carolina, the disease is most often found in skunks, raccoons, bats and foxes, according to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.

People can contract rabies by coming into contact with the saliva, tears or nervous-system tissue of an infected animal, the agency says. But if a person is treated quickly after exposure, the disease can be prevented from developing.

“People who are bitten by a mammal or otherwise possibly exposed to rabies should first wash any wounds thoroughly with soap and water for 15 minutes and then seek immediate medical attention to prevent the development of fatal disease,” the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services says on its website. “A doctor will determine what treatment is needed, such as post-exposure vaccination.”

In the U.S., about one to two people die each year from rabies, and most cases are contracted from bats, according to the agency.

This story was originally published July 7, 2022 at 4:07 PM with the headline "Rabid fox bites man in NC — the third attack in this county in weeks, officials say."