Rabid fox bites man as he sits on porch in Gaffney

GAFFNEY, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina health officials say a Cherokee County man was bitten by a rabid fox that attacked him as he sat on his porch and kept charging at him even after he kicked the animal into the yard.

The Department of Health and Environmental Control said the man was bitten by the fox, which jumped out of bushes Thursday at his home northeast of Gaffney.

Health officials say the fox kept charging at the man until he was able to kill it.

DHEC says the fox tested positive for rabies and the man is getting shots to prevent him from getting the disease.

DHEC says this is the first case of rabies this year in Cherokee County and the 56th confirmed case in South Carolina in 2011.