A woman was bit by a rabid fox outside a Lawrenceville repair shop Saturday, marking the fourth similar incident in Gwinnett County in less than a month.
It was also the county’s seventh confirmed case of rabies this year. It saw the same number of cases through the entirety of 2016, officials said.
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According to information released Tuesday by Gwinnett County spokeswoman Heather Sawyer, the unidentified woman was at a repair shop on Cripple Creek Drive on Saturday when she was bitten on the toe by a young fox. The fox then tried to attack other customers but was killed by bystanders.
Tissue from the fox later tested positive for rabies.
Other rabid foxes were reported in the Lawrenceville area on May 18, 30 and 31. In the May 30 case, a woman was attacked before fending the fox off with a QuikTrip cup.
“Animal welfare and enforcement officials advise there are numerous fox dens in [the area of Saturday’s incident] and urge people to use caution if they are approached by animals acting strangely,” a county news release said.
Previous rabies cases in Gwinnett included a May 15 incident involving a cat and two separate March incidents involving raccoons.
The county had seven confirmed rabies cases in all of 2016, four in 2015, and 12 in 2014, officials said.
Residents are urged to seek immediate medical attention if they come into contact with rabid animals, and to make sure their pets are up-to-date with rabies vaccinations.
Gwinnett will offer free rabies vaccinations from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 24 at Best Friend Park, 6224 Jimmy Carter Blvd. in Norcross. Those vaccinations will be offered only to residents of the 30071, 30340, 30360 and 30092 ZIP codes, and proof of residency is required.
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