Pet owners urged to vaccinate dogs and cats in the area


A 29-year-old Capitan man was bitten by a rabid gray fox Tuesday and is undergoing treatment for the disease.

Capitan Police chief Randy Spear said the man, whose identity was not released, was attempting to feed and pet the animal when he was bitten.

"This is the reason they are called wildlife," Spear said.

"He was trying to pet it and the little thing bit him on the hand. He reported it and went to the hospital. We went out and found the fox and took it to (veterinarian) Becky Washburn."

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Testing for rabies requires access to the animal's brain. The gray fox was sent to the New Mexico Department of Health.

"I was called this morning (Friday) by Becky Washburn that the fox tested positive for rabies," Spear said.

"The Department of Health also contacted the young man and he is in the process of his medical treatment for this at (the Lincoln County Medical Center)," Spear said.

"We re asking people to get their dogs and cats vaccinated, and asking the public to quit trying to feed the wildlife. They are wild and they do things that are not normal, especially with not a whole lot of food running around right now."

More: Rabid fox bites Las Vegas woman


According to the Mayo Clinic website, when a rabid animal bites a person, there is no way to know whether the animal has transmitted the rabies virus. For that reason, treatment to prevent the rabies virus from infecting a person is recommended, if the doctor thinks there's a chance exposure may have occurred..

"Once a rabies infection is established, there's no effective treatment," the website stated. "Though a small number of people have survived rabies, the disease is usually fatal. For that reason, if you think you've been exposed to rabies, you must get a series of shots to prevent the infection from taking hold."

A person bitten by an animal known to have rabies will receive a series of shots to prevent the virus from infecting them.

If the animal can't be found, it is assumed it has rabies, depending on several factors, such as the type of animal and the situation in which the bite occurred, according to the website.

A fast-acting shot (rabies immune globulin) to prevent the virus from infecting is injected near the area where the animal bite occurred as soon as possible after the bite.

Over 14 days, a series of rabies vaccines then are administered in the arm to help the body learn to identify and fight the rabies virus.


If the animal that bit remains healthy during the observation period, then it doesn't have rabies and rabies shots won't be needed.

Other pets and farm animals are considered on a case-by-case basis, according to the Mayo Clinic.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Reporter Dianne Stallings can be cntacted at

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