Just because rabies isn’t the villain doesn’t mean foxes are perfectly healthy. A scraggly, balding fox with a tail like a frayed rope often has sarcoptic mange, a mite infestation that’s miserable but not a threat to humans beyond mild skin irritation. It’s the fox equivalent of a really bad case of dandruff mixed with scabies.
Why Do Foxes Have Rabies at Robin Clark blog
If you see a fox that’s thin, wobbly, or acting aggressively, don’t jump to rabies. Think instead of toxoplasmosis, canine distemper, or simple old age. The truly dangerous thing? A fox that’s sleeping in your wheelie bin—that’s a Tuesday morning inconvenience, not a public health crisis.
