Lincoln County, New Mexico, April 24, 2015:  A rabid gray fox bit a 78-year-old Lincoln County woman in her leg yesterday. The fox tested positive for rabies and was euthanized. The fox was infected with a never-before-seen strain of rabies that was identified by genetic sequencing.  Paul Ettestad, New Mexico’s public health veterinarian, said discovering a new rabies strain is out of the ordinary. The new strain, similar to that found in bats, is unique.

Lincoln County in southern New Mexico is the locale of the historic Lincoln County Wars that erupted in the 1870s between ranchers and the owners of a general store. William Bonney (a.k.a. Billy the Kid) sided with the ranchers, ultimately slaying not only the deputy who killed his friend, but also several other lawmen and ranchers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_County,_New_Mexico).

The bitten woman underwent the painful series of shots for preventive treatment. Rabies is a preventable viral disease in mammals; it is usually transmitted by the bite of infected animals such as bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. Rabies in humans is usually fatal when untreated, so starting preventive therapy as soon as possible after being bitten is critical to recovery. The last human death from rabies in the United States occurred in 1956, according to the Centers for Disease Control, although I saw another source that stated one to three human rabies deaths per year is normal for the US.

Dr.Kerry Mower, wildlife disease specialist for the New Mexico Department of game and Fish, warned that wildlife acting sick, fearless, aggressive, or friendly should be considered a threat and avoided. “The public should be vigilant and stay away from any animals behaving strangely.”

An article in the Albuquerque Journal (4/24/15) gives guidelines for protecting yourself, your family, and your pets from rabies:

• Stay away from wild and unfamiliar animals. Do not attempt to feed, approach, or touch wild animals (alive or dead). Teach this important message to your children. Rabid animals may show no fear of people and may seem friendly or show aggression.
• Make sure pets are up to date on rabies vaccinations and wear current license tags on their collars.
• Consider rabies vaccination for horses and other valuable livestock to protect them from wild rabid animals that may attack them.
• Keep pets on a leash at all times.

The incubation period for the virus to establish itself is from one to three months, but if you or your pet is bitten by a rabid animal, begin preventive therapy at once. Symptoms include fever, headache, and muscle weakness. If a bite happens, call to report it to your state’s Department of Health, your local Department of Game and Fish office, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia, (404) 639-3311.

An interesting fact about the gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenterus) is that it is the only member of the Canidae family (dog family) that can climb trees.

© Suzanne T. Smith 2015