Durham County Animal Control received positive rabies today results for a fox believed to be the fox that bit a 4 year old child at Westminster School for Young Children located on Old Chapel Hill Road on Tuesday.  The child will continue to undergo post exposure rabies vaccinations, which consist of a series of injections.  The treatment is crucial to prevent the risk of the disease incubating in the child. 

Animal Control is working with a wildlife agent, Animals Be Gone, to attempt to trap and capture a confirmed den of fox pups adjacent to the school grounds believed to be the offspring of the rabid, female fox. Two baby foxes were already captured in the traps this morning.  “There is a risk that the offspring may also be carrying the rabies virus, so the goal is to remove the risk from the immediate area,” Animal Control officials say.  The baby foxes will be euthanized and not released back into the wild.

This marks the fourth positive rabies case in this year for Durham County.  Since January Animal Control has sent 31 bats removed from homes, 7 cats, 3 foxes, 2 raccoons, 1 beaver, 1 dog, 1 skunk and a vole.  Only the foxes and the skunk proved to be rabid.

Animal Control officials warn that while there may be only 4 recorded positive rabies results since January this year that number is not indicative of the number of animals that may be positive within the territorial boundaries of the County.  Animals are only sent in for testing for rabies when results need to be determined because they have exposed a human or a pet.  Sick or injured animals that are impounded, but have not exposed domestic animals or pets are euthanized, but not tested. 

Animal Control officials also warn citizens to stay away from wild animals and to refrain from feeding them in their backyards.  While they may appear cute and beautiful to

watch, they pose a great health and safety risk to humans and pets should they become infected with the disease.  It is better to not escalate that risk by inviting wild animals to visit residential areas.

Durham County Animal Control also offers low cast rabies vaccinations to owners of dogs and cats for $10.00 at their office located at 3005 Glenn Road in Durham.  Vaccination times are from 10:00AM to 12:00PM and from 2:00PM to 4:00PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  If the times are inconvenient, citizens should call the office to make an appointment for a different weekday.   

For additional information, contact Lt. Melinda A Duarte Durham County Animal Control Field Supervisor at 919-560-0634 or Animal Control Administrator Cindy Bailey at

(919) 560-0630

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