JAMES CITY COUNTY, Va. — Author's note: The video above is on file from April 2021.
A fox that attacked a James City County cat on Friday later tested positive for rabies, the health department said.
The Hampton & Peninsula Health Districts said the fox went after a cat in the Canvas Back Run area on Aug. 26. A few people from that area and near the Warhill Sports Complex, reported seeing a similar fox.
The fox died, and the health department tested it for rabies. That test came back positive.
Health district coordinators now want to know if anyone else came into contact with the wild animal.
If you were bitten, scratched, or had any contact with its saliva, you need to call the Williamsburg Environmental Health Office at 757-603-4277 (or 757-565-0370 if you're calling after-hours).
That also goes for anyone who thinks their pets might have come in contact with the fox.
Rabies is treatable but is deadly if you don't get shots before you start showing symptoms of the disease.
To lower your risks of contracting rabies, vaccinate your pets, report animal bites and scratches to your doctor right away, and stay away from wild animals like raccoons, skunks, and foxes.