Sir, – Michael Viney tells us that Vulpes vulpes – the common fox – "is prone to carrying a litany of diseases, with new ones added all the time" ("Another Life", August 20th). He also states that, "Ireland has mercifully escaped rabies, the one fox-borne disease that could be so cruelly fatal to humans."
While the above is true, there is a recorded case of death from rabies by fox-bite in Ireland. Mark Bence-Jones in his book Twilight of the Ascendancy tells us: "Lord Doneraile of Cork kept a pet fox; he used to take it with him when he went out driving his carriage. On one of these drives, the fox suddenly bit Lord Doneraile and his coachman and was found to have rabies. Lord Doneraile and the coachman travelled to Paris to be treated by Louis Pasteur; the coachman persevered with the treatment, Lord Doneraile grew bored with it and gave up. In due course he developed the disease and on August 26th, 1887, he died a frightful death". – Yours, etc,
FRANK FOLAN,
Ballyvaughan,
Co Clare.