Traps Set For Fox That Bit Person In Morris Plains: PD

MORRIS PLAINS, NJ — A wild fox that bit a resident in Morris Plains Wednesday afternoon is still on the loose, the Morris Plains Board of Health said Thursday morning.

The fox bit a resident in the area of Brook Drive South on Wednesday; its not clear what type of injuries the resident sustained. The NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife responded, and traps have been set in the borough to try to catch the animal.

Because the fox has not yet been caught, officials can't determine if the fox was rabid. A positive rabies diagnosis can only be made with a postmortem examination of the brain.

Foxes generally stay away from humans unless they are sick with a disease like rabies or mange. Some signs of rabies include aggressive or "drunk" behavior, trouble walking, or other signs of injury; rabid animals might look disoriented, display abnormal behavior, excessive salivation, or tremor. Rabid animals will often try to attack other animals.

Residents are asked to report any fox sightings to the police department by phone, and be careful when going outdoors.

It's not unusual to see foxes this time of the year in Morris County, and residents should be cautious around wildlife. The Board of Health shared these safety tips:

• Avoid direct contact with wild or stray animals.
• Do not feed or touch wild animals.
• Do not allow your cats or dogs to have contact with wild animals.
• Vaccinate your pets against rabies and keep vaccinations up-to-date.
• Never adopt wild animals into your home.
• Do not need wildlife and do not leave pet food outdoors for extended periods. Immediately clean up any spills from exterior bird feeders.
• Ensure that garbage stores outdoors in inaccessible to wildlife. Use tight-fitting lids on garbage cans.
• Report all injuries and bites to the Borough of Morris Plains Health Department.

Rabies can be treated in humans, if a vaccine is given before symptoms start. Between 2017 and 2019, about 55,000 Americans were treated for potential rabies exposure, the CDC says. There are about one to three rabies deaths a year in America; most cases of rabies, fatal or not, are transmitted by bats.