Hall County officials confirmed Friday evening that one person had contact with a rabid fox in the Shady Lane Drive area of Gainesville.
After the interaction between the fox and the unidentified person, the fox was shipped to the Georgia Public Health Lab – Virology Section in Decatur. Confirmation of the positive rabies test came Friday evening.
The county has stated its intention to post positive rabies signs in the area where the fox was found. They advise anyone living in the area who sees animals acting abnormally to call Hall County Animal Services at (770) 531-6830 or call Hall County Dispatch at (770) 536-8812 during non-working hours.
This positive rabies alert follows a recent beaver attack that occurred in the Sardis area of Lake Lanier last weekend. The beaver in that incident also tested positive for rabies according to county officials.
Animal owners are also encouraged by county officials to vaccinate their domesticated pets for rabies. Those vaccines are available at the Hall County Animal Shelter for $10 Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The shelter is located at 1688 Barber Road in Gainesville.
The shelter asks for pet owners to schedule an appointment by calling (678) 450-1587.
