Attacked foxes at Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum test positive for rabies

Two foxes tested positive for rabies Wednesday after attacking a museum employee in Tucson, according to the Arizona Department of Game and Fish.

The foxes attacked a worker at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum on Wednesday morning, but the worker suffered no injuries.

Game and Fish staff conducted a brief search, located the two foxes suspected of having rabies and euthanized them.

Officials announced that rabies test results came back positive for both foxes.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum did not immediately respond to questions about whether the employee’s status had changed following the positive test results.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum said the facility took precautions and treated the employee as if the foxes were eager to be with him.

While the museum’s grounds were deemed safe enough to reopen Friday, Game and Fish said area residents should leave immediately if they see sick or aggressive wildlife and report the sighting to 623-236-7201 should.

Game and Fish added that anyone attacked by a wild animal should get a rabies vaccination.

Are rabies cases increasing in Arizona?

With two new confirmed cases now added in 2024, there are a total of up to 24 wild animals in the state that have tested positive for rabies, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Of those confirmed rabies cases, 13 were foxes, including four in Tucson Pima County, one each in Greenlee and Pinal Counties and seven in Navajo County.

According to the data, the total number of people exposed to rabies after the museum attack was up to eight nationwide in 2024.

Anne Justice-Allen, wildlife veterinarian for Game and Fish, said the number of rabies cases statewide this year is not generally higher than average, but there has been a general trend toward more rabies cases over the past two years.

According to Justice-Allen, there were a total of 49 rabies-positive animals in 2022 and 59 cases in 2023.

The veteran veterinarian added that following heavy winter and summer rains, foxes and skunks are abundant across the state, making the environment ideal for these animals – and rabies – to thrive in the wild.

What animal attacks related to rabies occurred in 2024?

The new attack adds to a concentration of three fox attacks in Tucson in 2024.

The recent attack at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is the sixth attack by a fox on a person in the Tucson area. In most cases it is probably a rabid fox.

On April 4, a now-euthanized fox attacked three people near the Hugh Norris Trail in Saguaro National Park, all of whom required treatment for rabies.

On March 28, a gray fox was captured and euthanized after the animal attacked a person in Tucson.

In December 2023, a suspected rabid gray fox also aggressively attacked two people near Molino Base Campground in southern Arizona.

How can you protect yourself from rabies?

The Arizona Department of Health Services said rabies is a serious viral disease that can be fatal if left untreated, and that anyone who may have been exposed to it or attacked by a wild animal should seek treatment.

Rabies is a virus that is transmitted through the bite of an infected animal or through contact with infected saliva and damages the central nervous system.

The Department of Health said Arizona residents should not touch or feed wild or unfamiliar animals, noting that rabies can occur in pets such as cats and dogs that frequently come into contact with infected wild animals.

The health department added that rabies is widespread in foxes, with the animals spread to all but one Arizona county, Mohave, and that the variant of the virus is often transmitted to other desert-dwelling animals such as coyotes, bobcats and javelinas .

People should take special precautions to protect pets and children and seek immediate medical attention.

The health department has provided a list of the following tips:

Keep people and pets away from wildlife.
Never leave pet food in your garden as it attracts wild animals.
Do not lift, touch, or feed wild or unfamiliar animals, especially sick or injured ones.
If you have been bitten, scratched, or come into contact with an animal, wash the wound or area thoroughly with soap and water and report it immediately to animal control or health authorities.
Do not “rescue” abandoned young wild animals.
Vaccinate all dogs and cats against rabies.
Take precautions when camping, hunting or fishing. Avoid sleeping in open areas without the protection of an enclosed tent or RV.
Keep pets on a leash or in a fenced yard.
Wear impervious gloves when skinning carcasses.
Do not disturb breeding bats.
If you find a bat on the ground, do not touch it. Place a box over the bat to store it. Try to preserve the bat so that it is intact for testing in a laboratory. Report the bat and its location to animal control or health authorities.
Teach children not to touch or handle sick or injured animals, including bats.
Report all animal bites to animal control or health authorities.

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