Fox tests positive for rabies after fighting dog in Spalding County, health department says

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A fox tested positive for rabies after fighting a dog in Griffin last Monday, according to the Spalding County Health Department.

Officials said the encounter happened in the Ivy Road area. The dog’s condition is currently unknown.

Kelly Wilson, Spalding County’s environmental health manager, said the incident is a reminder for the community to watch out for oddly behaving animals.

“If you notice a wild or nocturnal animal moving about in the daytime, and the animal appears to show no fear of people, or the animal seems to behave in a sick or abnormal way, the animal may be infected with rabies,” she said. “Therefore, people should avoid the animal and report it to the local health department or animal control.”

Rabies is a central nervous system infection that’s almost always fatal in humans if left untreated. It’s usually transmitted through a bite, and its symptoms include fever and headache before increasing to confusion, hallucinations and excessive salivation.

Spalding County Officials recommend calling animal control at (770) 229-9911 or the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division at (800) 366-2661 if you see a suspected rabid animal. If it interacts with a human or pet, call animal control or the Spalding County Environmental Health Office at (770) 467-4230 immediately.

Georgia law requires owners to vaccinate their dogs, cats and ferrets. A pet may be required to undergo a 10-day quarantine if it’s bitten by a possibly rabid animal.

Click here to learn more about rabies.

Copyright 2024 WANF. All rights reserved.