Fox killed by frozen mop tests positive for rabies

Nunavut'shealth department is warning people in Arviat that a fox killed by a teenage girl in the hamlet earlier this month has tested positive for rabies.

Deanna Netser, 17, killed the fox with the mop, which just happened to be handy, after it tried to bite thefamily's dog outside her house.

• Fox vs. frozen mop:Nunavutgirl, 17, claims victory over nighttime visitor

A wildlife officer sent the carcass to a rabies lab in Alberta, just to be safe.

"It was right in town. Normally foxes stay away from people," Joe Savikataaq Jr. said at the time.

Dogs and foxes can transmit rabies to people.

"Some children may have had contact with this fox before it was killed," the health department notes in a news release.

If you did have contact with the fox, the department advises visiting the local health centre immediately.

More foxes than usual have been spotted in Arviat this year.

Anyone who sees a fox or wolf in the community, or if their dog has had contact with a fox or wolf, is urged to call the conservation officer at 867-857-3169 or the regional environmental health officer at 867-222-2373.