Dept. of Public Health issues warning after rabid fox spotted at Camp Osborne in Worth Co.

SYLVESTER, Ga. – A recent rabid animal sighting in rural Worth County has public health officials concerned about the welfare of people and their pets.

That’s why we spoke with them about protecting against rabies.

Worth County Department of Public Health Environmental Health Manager, Laura Searcie tells us that these encounters with rabid animals in Worth county have been thankfully rare.

But, out in the Camp Osborne area of Worth county, a local resident had an encounter with a rabid animal just over a week earlier.

“We do live in a very rural area, so it’s not uncommon to see wild animals. Just know that the primary thing to do is, if you see them, don’t approach them. If you see stray dogs and cats, I know a lot of us have a place in our hearts for animals like that, but if you don’t know the animal, don’t approach it,” said Laura Searcie, Environmental Health Manager, Worth Co. Health Dept.

But, this was no dog, it was a fox.

Mercifully, rabid animal encounters like the one that took place in rural Worth County should be rare, as only rabid animals come into contact with people or animals.

“The best thing is avoidance. As I mentioned earlier, a fox is typically a nocturnal animal, so they only come out at night. So, if you see one out during the daytime, that’s unusual behavior. Foxes also don’t typically approach humans or pets,” said Searcie.

But, as well, the Worth County Public Health Department wants the public to keep their pets have their rabies shots and report if they encounter a rabid animal and are bitten by them.

“The best way of prevention for pets is to keep them up to date on their rabies vaccination. If you are unable to avoid an encounter with a wild animal or a stray animal, and you do have some sort of injury or come into contact with them, you can respond to your nearest emergency room for care and contact public health to evaluate for risk of rabies transmission,” said Searcie.

While the encounters with rabid animals may be rare, it’s worth it to make sure you and your pets are protected.

According to the Department of Public Health, there were seven confirmed encounters with a rabid animal in Worth county in 2023.

Brian Roche reporting.

Copyright 2023 CBS 44 South Georgia. All rights reserved.