A Texas State University student was attacked six times by a rabid fox while enjoying a peaceful hike through Purgatory Creek Natural Area in San Marcos on Sunday. Michelle Danos, 22, said she heard rustling in the brush behind her and sensed something was wrong as a fox began approaching her.
Despite her desperate attempts to fend off the animal, the fox continued to attack her, biting her hands and fingers. Danos managed to escape by throwing the fox into a cactus and calling for help. She has since received several rabies shots as a precaution.
The attacks are exceedingly rare in Texas, but officials suspect that the fox may have been infected with rabies. A team from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department visited the trail on Monday to investigate and determine if there was any denning activity in the area.
Hikers near the Beatrice, Dante, and Ripheus trails were warned of the danger by a large sign displaying flashing messages such as ‘Rabid Fox In Area’ and ‘Hiking Not Advised’. Officials said that if the animal is rabid, it will likely die soon – if it hasn’t already.
Danos is now focused on ensuring her health is intact after the terrifying encounter with the fox. She emphasized the seriousness of rabies, saying “If you do progress through the symptoms of Rabies, which can happen from a couple of weeks to a couple of months after exposure, depending on where you’re bitten, if you’re showing symptoms, it’s almost always fatal.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that rabies is ‘a fatal but preventable viral disease’ that can be transmitted between people and animals through bites and scratches.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14716097/female-hiker-attacked-animal-texas-trail-michelle-danos.html