Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Officials warn of contact with rabid fox, raccoon

By SHERRI DAY
Published February 18, 2005

TAMPA - Hillsborough County Health officials warned residents Thursday to get tested for rabies if they have been in contact with a wild fox or raccoon.

A fox and raccoon, found separately in Odessa and Tampa, tested positive for rabies earlier this week. Persons at risk include those bitten, scratched or in contact with saliva.

"It's not unusual to have one rabid animal, but it is unusual to have two the same week," said Eliot Gregos, the department's environmental manager. "That's why we're concerned. Plus, the raccoon was in a very urban area."

A wild fox bit an Odessa man on the leg near Michigan Avenue on Friday, Gregos said. The man, whom health department officials would not identify, did not provoke the fox. The man is receiving treatment, Gregos said.

The raccoon bite occurred near Beachway Drive in South Tampa. The rabid animal bit a dog, Gregos said. The dog's owner was exposed to the raccoon through the dog bite. Both dog and owner, whom the health department did not identify, are doing fine, Gregos said.

Health department officials do not know how either animal became infected with rabies, which can be fatal if left untreated.

Gregos said people who think they may have been exposed should call the Health Department. If necessary, health officials will direct them to a clinic.

In 2004, health department officials found nine rabid animals in Hillsborough County. To date three rabid animals, including the fox and the raccoon, have been found this year. Health department officials say two to 25 rabid animals are reported in Hillsborough County each year.

[Last modified February 18, 2005, 00:13:08]