According to the Ocean County Health Department -Two separate incidents of exposures by fox in Jackson over the weekend.
(Post from ochd.org) – The Ocean County Health Department (OCHD) is reporting today that a fox captured in Jackson over the weekend has tested positive for rabies. The fox bit a child on Saturday in the neighborhood between Aldrich Road and West Connecticut Concourse. The child is undergoing rabies post-exposure prophylaxis following the incident. Jackson Township Animal Control was contacted and took possession of the fox which died shortly thereafter. The OCHD received two additional reports of fox bites in that neighborhood occurring over the same two-day span.
“The OCHD is always reminding people of the potential for an animal to become infected with rabies and the potential for human exposures,” explains Daniel Regenye, OCHD Public Health Coordinator/Officer. “But it does happen and that’s why it’s so important to remain vigilant especially in the warmer months when the potential for wildlife interactions with humans increase. It can be very tempting to try and assist or approach a wild animal that may appear in distress, injured – or even uncommonly friendly. However, a person should call animal control or the police and never approach or make contact with a wild animal demonstrating those signs.”
During spring and summer mammals may prefer to build their den’s or shelters close to our homes, playgrounds, schools and neighborhoods. And while there is still no cure for rabies, the good news is that human infection is extremely rare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that there are typically only about 1 to 3 cases of rabies documented in humans each year. The NJ Department of Health (NJDOH) estimates that approximately 2,500 people in New Jersey receive rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), due to exposure to known or suspect rabid animals. While any mammal can contract rabies, 2 of the most common carriers in Ocean County in the past have been bats and raccoons. Last year in Ocean County there were 2 cases of animals that tested positive for rabies. Both animals were raccoons.
“Not only do we have to protect ourselves from rabies, we need to protect our pets and to insure they are up-to-date with their rabies inoculations,” added Ocean County Commissioner Gerry P. Little, liaison to the Ocean County Board of Health. The Ocean County Animal Facilities holds free rabies clinics every other Wednesday by appointment only. Due to the pandemic many people may have skipped getting their pet vaccinated but if they did now is definitely the time to make an appointment.”
Keep in mind some of the following tips outlined below you can use in an effort to protect and limit your family and pets from those unwanted wildlife interactions and any potential rabies exposure:
The fox bit a young girl Saturday in a neighborhood between Aldrich Road and West Connecticut Concourse, according to a statement from the Ocean County Health Department.
The girl’s older brother was able to save the girl by wrestling the animal off of her and capturing it until the animal control arrived, according to a report by CBS.