A dead fox found in the Beaverhead area of the Gila National Forest about 50 miles northwest of Truth or Consequences has tested positive for rabies, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish said in a news release.

The fox found April 9 was the first confirmed rabid fox in Sierra County and the sixth to be found in southwestern New Mexico so far this year, the release said.

This latest case was found at the far western edge of Sierra County near the top of a drainage to the Gila River, but so far no rabid animals have been found east of the Continental Divide, according to Game and Fish.

Fox rabies has been a problem for years in Arizona and has now spread into western New Mexico.

The first New Mexico case was confirmed in the southwestern part of the state last year, when nine foxes and one bobcat tested positive for rabies in Catron County.

Since then, it has spread into Grant County and now Sierra County, the department said.

Kerry Mower, a wildlife health specialist with Game and Fish, said the problem will likely continue in New Mexico in the coming years, but will eventually run its course.

The current fox population in southwestern New Mexico appears to be high, and cases of canine distemper also appear to be on the increase in the area, Mower said.

The key to controlling the spread of rabies, Mower said in the release, is to have a licensed veterinarian vaccinate all pets and livestock.

Residents also can protect themselves by keeping pet food indoors, putting trash out only on pickup days and removing bird feeders that may attract foxes and other animals to their property, the release said. 

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