Authorities in North Carolina say two people were hurt in the same town after being bitten by a rabid fox.
The incidents happened on Midway Road and Sycamore Street in Aberdeen on Tuesday, Aug. 11, the Moore County Sheriff’s Office said in an initial news release.
Jordan Burns, one of the victims, said she was bitten after leaving her home to check on what she thought was an injured cat, according to CBS affiliate WNCN.
“Every time I would get it off of me, it would latch on somewhere else,” Burns said. “Then it became clear I was going to have to do something. It was going to be me or the fox.”
Aberdeen Police Capt. Chris Davis said the woman “got bit on the side of her leg,” according to NBC affiliate WRAL.
Davis added that Burns managed to grab the fox by its chin to get it off her, “but then it bit her hand after that.”
A short time later, a second person was bitten nearby. The victim, a 77-year-old man, was also bitten on the leg, WRAL reported.
The sheriff’s office said both victims “are receiving appropriate care” for their injuries. In a second news release, the office confirmed that the fox tested positive for rabies.
Burns did not know the fox had rabies when speaking with WNCN. She said she was worried that it might be the case.
“I’m very sore and shaken up, as you can imagine,” Burns told the news outlet. “It was just such a bizarre thing. You know, I never expected it would be a fox that would bite me.”
Residents who see animals acting in “unusual or aggressive” ways are asked to contact Moore County Animal Services at 910-947-2858.
