A six-year-old girl and her 45-year-old grandmother were bitten by a rabid fox in Worcester, Massachusetts, during separate attacks that occurred less than 24 hours apart, according to local news reports.
The wild animal grabbed the young girl off her bicycle on the evening of August 12 before attacking her grandmother the following morning. Animal control officers subsequently euthanized the fox, and laboratory testing confirmed that the creature was infected with rabies, Boston 25 News reported.
The first incident took place on Jones Street in Worcester, a city in central Massachusetts. Six-year-old Janessa was playing with friends in a residential backyard when the fox emerged from the darkness. The animal bit the girl on the leg as she sat on her bicycle, pulled her to the ground, and then bit her arm. Janessa's brother rushed to her aid and kicked the fox until it fled the scene. The child required stitches at a medical facility to stop the bleeding.
Subsequent Attack on Grandmother
The following morning, August 13, the same fox attacked Janessa's 45-year-old grandmother, Zena Bottom, just a few blocks away from the initial site. Bottom ran outside to protect her family after hearing her niece scream, only for the fox to latch onto her leg. Bottom attempted to shake the predator loose, but after failing to dislodge it, she grabbed the animal by its neck and threw it to the side.
Animal control officers tracked down and euthanized the fox later that day. Subsequent testing by health officials confirmed that the fox had rabies, a viral disease affecting the central nervous system that can cause heightened aggression in infected mammals.
Rabies Treatment and Local Outbreak
Both Janessa and Bottom are undergoing a course of post-exposure rabies vaccinations, which involves multiple injections administered over a two-week period. Standard medical protocol requires rapid vaccination following potential exposure because the rabies virus is nearly always fatal once physical symptoms develop.
The incident represents the fourth confirmed case of rabies involving foxes in Worcester this year. Local authorities have reported heightened wild animal activity in the area.
On Sunday, August 16, another fox attacked a Jack Russell terrier in the city. Two larger dogs managed to drive the fox away before animal control personnel captured and euthanized it. Following the series of encounters, municipal officials warned local residents not to approach wild animals under any circumstances and to report any suspicious animal behavior to authorities immediately.
Previous Fatal Case in Canada
The attacks in Worcester follow a previously reported rabies incident in Canada, where an 11-year-old child died after a bat landed on his face while he slept. The boy did not notice a bite, and doctors were initially unable to provide a prompt diagnosis because the child's family insisted there had been no direct contact with an animal. The infection proved fatal before effective treatment could be administered.
