News of rabid foxes or other animals doesn't make quite as much of a stir here in Western Maryland as it did on Capitol Hill. Here, it seems to be more regarded as a hazard of country living.
Admittedly, my enthusiasm for seeing the beautiful creatures has waned over the years. And I don't dissect dead animals or road kills as we were taught to do in a mammalogy class I did in college. Too many infections to worry about now, including plague, tularemia, and rabies, and I know most docs don't have the time (and often the knowledge) to take a detailed exposure history.
The Capitol Hill fox bit "at least" nine people. Sometimes people don't realize they were bitten. Sometimes ER doctors miss the bites, too.
A friend of mine asked for advice a couple of years ago. That summer evening, she was sitting outside the fire station waiting for a class with her car door open. A coyote tried to jump in the car and bit her as she swatted at it. It then chased her as she ran for help. Over the next several hours, we texted back and forth while she was in the ER waiting to be seen during a high COVID
