Oneida County seeks people who may have contacted the fox near Stevens Field on November 8.

A rabid fox in Rome has prompted an appeal from the Oneida County Health Department, which is asking anyone who had contact with the animal to call 315-798-5064 to discuss possible exposure and treatment. This incident has led to a Rome rabies alert.

The fox was found around Stevens Field, West Thomas Street and West Embargo Street on Sunday, November 8. In a November 9 news release, the department said the animal may have exposed additional people beyond those already identified.

A raccoon in Lee also tested positive for rabies. The county said the raccoon was already dead when it was handled.

Three known exposures across the two incidents

Both animals were sent to the New York State Department of Health’s Wadsworth Center on November 9, and the county received positive test results that day. Three people were known to have been exposed to the animals and were receiving post-exposure prophylaxis, the department said.

The release did not say how those three exposures were divided between the fox and raccoon incidents. It also did not identify the affected people. The total should not be read as three confirmed exposures to the Rome fox alone.

Contact the county if you handled or touched the fox

The county’s request is directed at people who had contact with the fox. Living nearby or passing through the neighborhood does not, by itself, establish that someone was exposed. A health professional should assess the circumstances rather than residents trying to decide from the location alone.

When calling, explain when and where the contact occurred and what happened. The department can discuss whether treatment is needed. Its November 9 notice stresses that rabies is preventable but can be fatal without appropriate treatment.

A dead animal can still pose a risk

The Lee incident is a reminder that an animal does not have to be alive to pose an exposure concern. The department said rabies can be transmitted after death and urged people handling dead animals to take protective measures, including wearing gloves.

Anyone concerned about contact with either animal should use the county’s exposure number, 315-798-5064, rather than assuming the risk ended when the animal died.

These incidents are separate from the Vernon raccoon reported earlier this month in VoiceMV’s November 5 news briefing.

Source: Oneida County Health Department news release, November 9, 2026. County health information is available through the Health Department.