Fox Tests Positive for Rabies in Wicomico Co.

QUANTICO, Md. – The Wicomico County Health Department is advising residents on how to mitigate rabies exposure after a fox tested positive in Quantico.

Rabies is a preventable viral disease that exists in the saliva of mammals. It is transmitted from animal to animal, or from animal to human, by biting and/or scratching. If left untreated in humans and animals, rabies is fatal.

The health department says residents should keep pets confined, and avoid feeding them in outside areas where stray animals can approach them. Parents should teach children to leave unfamiliar animals alone, and families should secure garbage receptacles.

Maryland law requires that all pet dogs, cats, and ferrets aged four months or older have a current rabies vaccination.

To report human or animal contact, such as bites or scratches, call the Wicomico County Health Department at (410) 546-4446. For more information on rabies or rabies vaccination clinics, click here.