The Capitol fox fascinated folks. But no one mentioned the cost of rabies treatment

https://www.npr.org/2022/04/09/ [login to see] /the-capitol-fox-fascinated-folks-but-no-one-mentioned-the-cost-of-rabies-treatme
Ximena Bustillo was leaving the U.S. Capitol grounds on Tuesday when she felt a tiny stab and scratch on her left ankle. Bustillo, who is a food and agriculture policy reporter for Politico, immediately let out a shrieking scream as she whipped around and found herself face-to-face with a red fox.

The two were in a standoff for a few moments, Bustillo said, as she continued screaming and swinging her backpack at the animal to get it to go away. Some congressional staffers nearby heard her and came to help.

Finally, the fox relented and ran into the bushes, but it left Bustillo standing there with a bleeding ankle. Almost immediately, the panic set in. What should she do? Whom should she call? Also, can foxes carry rabies?

The answer is, yes, foxes can carry rabies, the viral disease that is transmitted most often through the saliva in an animal bite. Rabies has one of the highest mortality rates, yet deaths in the U.S. are extremely rare because of the effectiveness of post-exposure treatment.