Man Who Unknowingly Held Rabid Fox In Wayne, Pa. Apparently Avoided Infection
By Mark Abrams
WAYNE, Pa. (CBS) -- The Pennsylvania Department of Health says it has located the many who picked up and held a rabid red fox after it was struck by a car in Wayne (Delaware County) on Monday.
Christine Cronkright, a health department spokeswoman, says a man apparently picked up the fox in the 400 block of East Lancaster Avenue in Wayne on Monday afternoon.
She says when police arrived on the scene, they found the man holding the fox in a blanket (see previous story).
But the man, whose identity she did not release, left that scene before anyone could get his name.
A lab test on the fox confirmed it had rabies, and health officials put out an alert for the man to come forward.
"We were able to identify the man. He did come in and come forward. Thankfully, he was not bitten, and so he does seem to be fine," says Cronkright.
Cronkright says the health department advises that anyone coming into contact with an injured creature should avoid touching it. She says poilce or animal control officers should be contacted because they are trained to handle it and avoid the possibility of contracting rabies.
