012-Lancastcr Farming, Saturday, Saptambar 2, 1995 This picnic table, „ . only a few. , from, juse,. where the. >x recent, attacked two children. Seated in the front Is 8-year-old Jordan who was bitten numer ous times on the hand and leg. With him are his parents, Cindy and Nevin Myer, and brother Joslah, 10. Suspected Rabid LOU ANN GOOD Lancaster Farming Staff LITTTZ (Lancaster Co.) It was 9: IS on a warm summer even ing about two weeks ago. Nevin and Cindy Myer’s 8-year-old son Jordan was playing with several friends at a picnic table only a few feet from the back door of their home. When Jordan felt something fur ry brush against his legs, he reach ed down to give his doga paton the head. Instead of a warm nuzzle from his dpg, Jordan was bitten, not once but numerous times. Screaming, Jordan and several of his friends jumped up on the picnic table to escape what they thought at first was a “wild dog.” Instead of a dog, it was a fox, which turned on 4-year-old Jesse Ambrose standing nearby. The children’s screams brought parents on the scene. After pelting the fox with stones and sticks, the adults were able to free their child ren from the fox’s assault. Although the fox escaped, two children and three adults needed to receive shots to prevent them from contacting rabies. The series of shots are not as painful as they once were, but are done in a series of 4 or 5 and are expensive. Nevin said that the shots cost about $l,OOO a person. “Rabies can be spread just from touching the saliva or cleaning out the wound of a person who was bit ten by a rabid animal,” he said. For that reason, three adults in addition to the two children who were bitten needed the shots. Although medical treatment alleviates humans from develop ing rabies, it does not counteract the fear caused by the attack. Cindy said, “I have never seen children as fearful as that night We immediately prayed that the children would have peace. We are grateful that our sons are dealing well with the experience. But children deal with fear in different ways. Some of the children that were here are waking every night with nightmares.” The Myer home is bordered by Bites Children busy highways of Rts. 501 and 322. A Christmas tree farm sets in back of the Myer home. “We had heard a fox den was found there but we have lived here for 12 years and never saw a fox before that night,” Nevin said. “After that night, the boys were a bit fearful of going outside to play, but I told them to remember the many nice days they had play • ing outside and weren’t bitten instead of the one time the fox came.” The bite marks and scratches on Jordan’s arms, hands, and legs are almost healed and he and his 10-year-old brother Josiah are again playing outside. Jordan said that worse than being bitten himself was seeing the little 4-year-old being bitten. “He got it worse than I did. I wish that it had only been me and not him too,” Jordan said. According to Richard McGarvey, spokesperson for the Bureau of Health, there have been 353 rabies cases confirmed in the state so far this year year. Eighteen have been confirmed in Lancaster County. These numbers do not include the incident with Jordan and his friends because the fox was never found and diagnosed. fp^AuAPPENINGS The Envirothon team named the “Lorax” from Middletown High School, Middletown, Md. com peted at the National Envirothon during the week of Aug. 1-4. The competition was held at Harriman State Park, near Rexburg, Idaho. The “Lorax” placed 6th of 30 teams from the United States and Canada. The winning team hailed from Connecticut. The “Lorax” team members consisted of Elaine Bucheimer. Lorax <v Fox Although it cannot be proved that the fox had rabies, it most like ly did because of its strange beha vior. authorities agreed. Ordinarily, wildlife will run away from human contact. McGarvey said, “It’s very unusual for a rabid animal to be that aggres sive, although it does happen. In most cases, humans approach a fox, skunk or raccoon that is sitting or lying still and are then bitten.” As precautions against being bitten, McGarvey said people should avoid contact with wildlife whenever possible. If they notice wildlife acting strangely, they should immmediately contact the Pennsylvania Game Commission or a rodent control company. Household pets should always be immunized against rabies because they are more prone to come in contact with wildlife. The amount of reported cases is only slightly higher this year than the past two years. “But we know there are many more unreported cases and cases that are not confirmed,” McGarvey said. The last known death from rabies in Pennsylvania happened in 1985. A young man died from rabies, but it was never determined how he had contacted the disease. Nalalie Bucheimer. Crissi Gama che, Jen Moral, Erin Weber, and alternate Tara Harrell. Ron Albaugh, a science teacher from Middletown High School, was adviser. Barry Burch, the Freder ick County Envirothon coordina tor at the Catoctin and Frederick soil conservation districts, also assisted with the coaching duties. The Middletown team represented Frederick County and the state of Maryland at the National Envir othon competition. , £ yi *> V **&» SEE YOUR NEAREST & DEALER FOR DEPENDABLE EQUIPMENT & SERVICE Annvllle. PA BHM Farm Equipment, Inc. RDI, Rle. 934 717-867-2211 R&W Equipment Co. 35 East Willow Street 717-243-2686 Messick Farm Equipment, Inc. Rt. 283 - Rheem's Exit 717-367-1319 Halifax. PA Sweigard Bros. R.D. 3, Box 13 717-896-3414 Honev Grove. PA Norman D. Clark & Son, Iric. Honey Grove, PA 717-734-3682 Loysville, PA 717-789-3117 S.G. Lewis & Son, Inc. 352 N. Jennersville Rd. 610-869-2214 1-300-869-9029 Frederick. MD Ceresville Ford New Holland, Inc. Rt. 26 East 301-662-4197 Outside MD, 800-331-9122 irew,...»i»i i lBfcY • I Bridgeton. NJ Leslie G. Fogg, Inc. Canton & Stow Creek Landing Rd. 609-451-2727 609-935-5145 8 ICWHOLIAN) YtVAI Honev Brook. P, Dependable Motor Co. East Main Street 215-273-3131 215-273-3737 New Holli A.B.C. Groff, Inc, 110 South Railroad 717-354-4191 Qiev. PA C.J. Wonsidler Bros. R.D. 2 215-987-6257 Pitman. PA Schreffler Equipment Pitman, PA 717-648-1120 Tamaoua. PA Charles S. Snyder, Inc. R.D. 3 717-386-5945 Washington. NJ Smith Tractor & Equip., Inc. 15 Hillcrest Ave. 908-689-7900 Woodstown. NJ Owen Supply Co. Broad Street & East Avenue 609-769-0308
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