A woman was attacked by a fox in the Schoharie County town of Esperance yesterday while cleaning out a camper.
According to a press release from the Schoharie County Sheriff's Department, the attack occurred around 4:30pm on Saddlemire Hill Road, and sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the area.
The victim told deputies that the fox had attacked her legs from behind, and continued to bite her arms until it was killed by a passerby. The victim and passerby were both taken to Cobleskill Regional Hospital, and the fox's body was turned over to the Schoharie County Health Department for testing.
Human exposure to rabies tends to increase during the summer. A little scientific background reading: This study, from the May/June 1999 issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases, which breaks down the data on people in upstate New York who received prophylactic treatment after possible exposure to rabies in 1993 and 1994.
Among the study's findings: Rates of treatment for possible rabies exposure were highest in rural counties, in summer, and in patients 10 to 14 and 35 to 44 years of age.
Here are a few tips for protecting yourself from rabies exposure, courtesy of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.
