{"id":18201,"date":"2026-05-05T11:38:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T15:38:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/?page_id=18201"},"modified":"2026-05-05T11:38:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T15:38:26","slug":"fox-tests-positive-for-the-rabies-virus-in-mechanicsville","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/public-relations-contacts\/2026-regional-news-releases\/fox-tests-positive-for-the-rabies-virus-in-mechanicsville\/","title":{"rendered":"Fox Tests Positive for the Rabies Virus in Mechanicsville"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>May 5, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Contacts: <\/strong>Caitlin Hodge, Public Information Officer: 804-365-4316<\/p>\n<p>Lisa Hill, Environmental Health Acting Manager:\u00a0804-365-4339<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Fox Tests Positive for the Rabies Virus in Mechanicsville<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Mechanicsville, Va. \u2013 The Chickahominy Health District would like to notify the residents of the Holly Ridge in the area of Dusty Ln. and Quailfield Rd. in Mechanicsville, VA 23116 that a fox has tested positive for the rabies virus. The fox no longer poses a threat to the public.<\/p>\n<p>Anyone who has information regarding any exposure to this animal in the days leading up to April 30, 2026 (bite, scratch, or contact with saliva by open wound or eyes, nose, mouth) should contact the Hanover Health Department at: 804-365-4313. Exposures also include direct contact between your pet and the rabid animal. After hours, please contact Hanover County Animal Control at: 804-365-6140.<\/p>\n<p>Rabies is a fatal, but preventable, disease carried by mammals that is endemic to the area.<\/p>\n<p>The Chickahominy Health District would like to remind all residents to follow these three important rabies prevention guidelines:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Vaccinate your pets<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Report all exposures<\/strong> to animals (usually bites and scratches) to your doctor and the local health department.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Enjoy wildlife from a distance<\/strong> \u2013 do <u>not<\/u> feed or encourage wild animals such as raccoons, skunks, or foxes to visit your premises.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"># # #<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>May 5, 2026 Contacts: Caitlin Hodge, Public Information Officer: 804-365-4316 Lisa Hill, Environmental Health Acting Manager:\u00a0804-365-4339 \u00a0Fox Tests Positive for the Rabies Virus in Mechanicsville Mechanicsville, Va. \u2013 The Chickahominy Health District would like to notify the residents of the Holly Ridge in the area of Dusty Ln. and Quailfield Rd. in Mechanicsville, VA 23116 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":258,"featured_media":0,"parent":16853,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[602,1598,975],"class_list":["post-18201","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","tag-chickahominy-health-district","tag-hanover-health-department","tag-rabid-fox"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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