One person and two pets were exposed to a rabid fox in Huntersville, police say
One person and two dogs have been exposed to a rabid fox in Huntersville, prompting public officials to send out an alert to some of the town’s residents, police say.
The alert was sent Thursday night to residents “on or near” Mt. Holly-Huntersville Road, in the 28078 ZIP code, after the fox tested positive for rabies, according to a news release from the Huntersville Police Department.
The release said there was “one human exposure and two domesticated dog exposures,” but it did not describe the nature of those exposures.
The fox was the sixth animal in Mecklenburg County to test positive for rabies this year, the release said.
North Carolina rabies law requires that all owned dogs, cats and ferrets must be vaccinated against rabies by four months of age..
Mecklenburg County’s Animal Care and Control offers a free monthly clinic for county residents to have their pets vaccinated against rabies. This clinic takes place the second Saturday of each month from 8:00 a.m. to 10:45a.m. at the animal shelter located at 8315 Byrum Drive in Charlotte. $10 microchips and free pet I.D. tags are also provided at the clinic.
If people are bitten or scratched by animals that might be rabid, the CDC recommends that they wash the bite or scratch immediately with soap and water and talk to a healthcare provider. Rabies in people is completely preventable with appropriate medical care, the CDC notes.
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