What procedure should be taken for a hunter bitten by a fox suspected of rabies?

For a hunter bitten by a fox suspected of rabies, the most appropriate procedure is the administration of hyperimmune antirabies globulin and rabies vaccine. This is critical because rabies is a viral infection that can be fatal once clinical symptoms appear, and the risk of transmission from a suspected rabid animal is high.

The rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) includes a treatment regimen that consists of both passive and active immunity. The hyperimmune antirabies globulin provides immediate passive immunity by neutralizing the virus, while the rabies vaccine elicits an active immune response to prepare the body to combat any potential viral infection. Timely intervention is vital, as the rabies virus progresses rapidly, and once the symptoms are present, the disease is almost universally fatal.

In this context, other procedures like spinal taps or biopsies would not provide the necessary intervention against rabies and are not routinely recommended in this scenario. Blood or throat cultures would neither detect the presence of the rabies virus nor provide any preventive measures against its fatal effects. Thus, the combination of hyperimmune globulin and the rabies vaccine is the established protocol for potential rabies exposure, making it the correct and critical choice in this situation.