CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A rabid fox was found in Chesapeake last week, making the second to test positive within city limits since the beginning of January.
According to the Virginia Department of Health and the Chesapeake Health Department, there was an unprovoked encounter between the fox and a resident on January 11 on the 3100 block of Eason Road.
That's in the Pleasant Grove West neighborhood.
Once the fox was confirmed to have the virus, the resident began post-exposure treatment.
This is the second incident of a rabies-positive fox in Chesapeake this month. On January 2, a similar incident happened on Mount Pleasant Road.
Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system. Health officials said it kills almost any mammal or human that gets sick from it.
The rabies virus is mainly in the saliva and brain of rabid animals. It can be transmitted through a bite or getting saliva or brain tissue in a wound, eye, nose, or mouth.
It's important to keep your pets vaccinated and avoid any contact with wild animals.
For more information on rabies, contact the Chesapeake Health Department at (757) 382-8672 or Animal Control at (757) 382-8080 or log onto the Virginia Department of Health’s website or the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
