Cary confirms first rabies case of 2016 after fox attacks jogger, two dogs

Cary animal control officials have confirmed the town's first case of rabies in 2016 after a fox attacked a jogger and two dogs Wednesday morning on a greenway near Lantern Ridge Lane.

Officials say the fox attacked the jogger and dogs around 7 a.m. Police responded, euthanized the animal and took it to the State Laboratory of Public Health in Raleigh for testing. The lab confirmed that the fox was rabid.

The jogger is receiving medical care, and both dogs had current rabies vaccinations and received booster shots. The town's last reported case of rabies was in October 2014.

"It’s important to be watchful while in environments where wild or strange animals may be found,” Assistant Police Chief Scott Davis said in a statement.

Davis added that if a pet comes into contact with a rabid animal, and the pet is not properly vaccinated, North Carolina law requires potentially rabid pets to be destroyed unless owners agree to support a six-month quarantine.

Residents who believe they've seen a rabid animal should call Cary Animal Control immediately at 919-319-4517.