This article by Frances Mize was first published Aug. 24 in the Valley News.
THETFORD — A gray fox suspected of biting a woman over the weekend tested positive for rabies after it was euthanized.
The woman, who was bitten on Sunday, has been treated for the virus.
Rabies is fatal in most animal species and nearly always fatal in humans who contract the virus and don’t receive vaccine treatment.
Prior to the biting incident, the Thetford Police Department received two other incidents regarding an aggressive fox.
As the town’s police force and the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife coordinate to implement safety measures, Thetford Police Chief Mike Scruggs urges residents to use caution in the outdoors.
“Please be aware of your surroundings, and if you see an animal acting out of the ordinary, reach out to Thetford Police or the (Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife),” he wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday night.
“Keep your distance, and if necessary, go inside,” Scruggs wrote. “While (the previous fox attacks) occurred in a specific area of North Thetford, this can happen anywhere.”
In January, a different gray fox collected in Thetford tested positive for rabies, according to data from the state’s Department of Health. That same month, a rabid raccoon was found in Newbury and another in Bradford.
In April, a raccoon found in White River Junction tested positive for rabies.
In Vermont, 26 animals have tested positive for rabies so far this year — including the fox that bit the Thetford woman on Sunday.
In 2022, 39 animals tested positive. Over half came from Chittenden County due to a localized outbreak there.
