The Brief
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Fox found in Wimberley tests positive for rabies
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Sheriff’s office says fox bit someone outside a home on Cypress Creek Lane
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Second fox attack reported in Hays County in a week
WIMBERLEY, Texas – A fox that bit someone in Hays County has tested positive for rabies, officials say.
There have been a series of fox attacks reported in Central Texas that happened just days apart.
Fox in Hays County tests positive for rabies
What we know
The Hays County Sheriff’s Office says that a fox bit a person on May 9 around 1:30 p.m. outside near a residence in the 500 block of Cypress Creek Lane in Wimberley.
The Texas Department of State Health Services tested the fox, which was found to be positive for rabies.
What they’re saying
“From what I gather, they were outside, and the fox just came up to the victim and attacked her,” says Hays County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Clint Pulpan.
The sheriff’s office says the family took matters into their own hands to stop the vicious fox.
“The individual’s husband was able to kill the fox, which is how we were able to get it. This was around 1.30 p.m. in the middle of the day. We responded, took the fox, we submitted the fox to the State Department of Health and received the results back today, which were positive for rabies,” says Lt. Pulpan.
What you can do
Rabies spreads through an animal’s saliva and could be deadly if not treated before symptoms occur.
“I’m concerned, at this point, that there is an outbreak of rabies and foxes here. I don’t know when the state makes that determination, but until we get more information, people just need to be vigilant. If you see a fox in the middle of the day, avoid it at all costs or any kind of nocturnal animal,” says Lt. Pulpan.
Animal protection officers are still searching for the fox in the San Marcos attacks to determine if it has rabies.
HCSO is urging the public to please be careful and not to touch any foxes they come in contact with.
Anyone who may have come into contact with this fox is urged to call HCSO’s animal control unit at 512-393-7896 or DSHS’s zoonosis control at 254-778-6744.
Second reported fox attack in Hays County
Dig deeper
This is the second time Hays County officials have reported fox attacks.
On Sunday, May 11, a fox reportedly attacked people near the Beatrice, Dante and Ripheus trails in the Purgatory Creek Natural Area in San Marcos.
Four people are receiving medical care and two were bitten.
One victim told FOX 7 she has to get shots every few days for two weeks to protect against the rabies virus.
The Source
Information in this report comes from the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, previous reporting by FOX 7 Austin, and interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Tan Radford
