A 10-year-old girl was attacked by a rabid fox outside her Farmington Township home in Clarion County, according to an alert issued Wednesday by the state Department of Agriculture.
The alert says the girl was walking in her backyard when a gray fox bit her ankle and wouldn’t let go until the girl’s father kicked it off her leg.
The fox was killed and sent to the Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, where it tested positive for rabies.
Reports indicate the incident occurred sometime in the last week.
Rabies is a virus that can be transmitted in the saliva of an infected animal.
Symptoms of the disease include irritability, fatigue, headache, fever and pain or itching at the exposure site.
In the case of animals, aggression and lack of coordination are common observable symptoms of the rabies infection. By the time symptoms develop, virtually all cases are fatal, according to the health department, but prompt medical attention can prevent the infection from spreading.
Trish Lockhart, a veterinary technician at Seneca Veterinary Clinic, said rabies is all in the brain, where the virus must travel before symptoms develop.
The Department of Agriculture said there were no reported rabies cases in June in Venango, Clarion, Mercer, Forest and Butler counties.
The Department of Health says that in the case of a wild animal attack, the animal should be humanely killed and the head sent for laboratory testing. Bats may be submitted whole.
If the animal must be shot, take care not to damage the head, the Health Department says.
When a bite occurs from a domestic animal, the animal can be kept under observation. If it is healthy after 10 days, the animal is not rabid, according to the Health Department.
The disease can lie dormant for three months to six years depending on the size of the animal and location of the bite, Lockhart said.
Lockhart strongly recommended anyone with pets, whether they are indoors or outdoors, to keep them up to date on vaccinations.
Pennsylvania law requires all dogs and domestic cats older than three months to be vaccinated against rabies, including booster vaccinations. Failure to comply can result in a $300 fine.