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An adult gray fox picked up Oct. 13 in the vicinity of Rainbow Lake in Lakeside by Arizona Game & Fish Department personnel has tested positive for rabies. Because of the Oct. 6 rabies quarantine issued for northern Gila County, state health and Game and Fish officials are concerned about the threat of rabies exposure in southern Navajo County.
The concern is heightened because many hunting seasons are about to begin or are currently underway, and numerous campers and sportsmen are now visiting the White Mountains.
Bruce Sitko, spokesman for the Game & Fish Department in the Pinetop Region, advised, "People camping, hunting, or fishing in southern Navajo County should stay away from foxes and other wildlife that appear to be sick or behaving abnormally. Campers should avoid sleeping on the ground if possible."
Sitko also cautions residents and visitors to southern Navajo County to have their dogs on a leash, or better still, leave pets at home until further notice. "Ranchers and pet-owners are advised to vaccinate their animals against rabies," he warned. "Animals exposed to rabies may acquire the disease and pass it on to humans. Rabies is always fatal once symptoms develop."
Rabies is transmitted by a bite or contact with saliva from a rabid animal to a fresh wound on the skin, or to the mucous membranes in the mouth, eyes, and nose. Rabies is a viral disease that attacks the central nervous system and is always fatal once symptoms appear. Individuals exposed to a rabid animal must promptly receive post-exposure treatment to prevent rabies infection.
Sitko urged people to not touch, feed, or pick up wild animals, either alive or dead, especially foxes, skunks, and bats. "If a wild animal looks sick, or is behaving abnormally, it should be reported to Animal Control or Game & Fish officials. If a pet looks sick, or if it may have been exposed to rabies, it should be taken to a vet," he said.
In Arizona, rabies most commonly occurs in bats, skunks, and foxes, but any mammal can contract the disease. Rabid animals may show unusual behavior or appear unstable. Rabid carnivores, such as skunks, foxes, bobcats, coyotes, dogs, and cats, may become aggressive and may attempt to bite people, pets, and livestock. Wild animals exhibiting unusual behavior should be reported to local animal control officials. Examples of unusual behavior include: wild animals that show no fear of humans or pets; nocturnal animals that are active in daylight; and bats found on the ground or that have been caught by a pet.
For more information about rabies, call your local health department, the ADHS Vector-Borne & Zoonotic Disease Section at (602) 230-5932, or the Arizona Game & Fish Department at (602) 942-3000.
Uploaded: 10/22/1999
Uploaded: 10/22/1999