WASHINGTON - A mother red fox captured Tuesday on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol has been euthanized and has tested positive for rabies, said a spokeswoman for the Humane Rescue Alliance.
The Washington, D.C., public health lab "has confirmed the fox tested positive for the rabies virus," said the spokeswoman, Sam Miller.
City health authorities said in an email that they were "working to determine next steps for the fox kits.".
Roughly 120,000 animals a year in the United States are tested for rabies, and of these, about 6% are found to be rabid.
On Tuesday, Tim Barber, a spokesman for the U.S. Capitol Police, had said at least a half-dozen people had been bitten or nipped by the fox.
Officials were "not sure how long" the foxes had been around the Capitol grounds or where they came from, Barber said.
After Capitol Police responded, the fox fled in the direction of the Dirksen and Hart Senate office buildings. »