Jasper (GA) November 18, 2009 — A second Pickens County cat has been confirmed by the State Public Health Laboratory as having rabies. Earlier in the year, a rabid raccoon attacked several unvaccinated cats belonging to a family living on Paradise Lane in Jasper, Georgia. On September 16, the first cat tested positive for rabies. The remaining cats were either destroyed or placed in a double enclosure pen for a quarantine period of six months. Two family members received a series of post-exposure rabies treatments at a local hospital.
On November 2, one of the cats in quarantine showed possible signs of rabies; it was destroyed and submitted to the State Public Health Laboratory by Matthew Williams of the Pickens County Environmental Health Office. It also tested positive for rabies.
Matthew Williams: “This case is a good example of why all pets must be vaccinated against rabies and why you should not feed stray cats or dogs around your home. If you feed strays and they hang around your property, then legally they belong to you and you are responsible for their rabies vaccinations. Rabid wild animals often come into yards and attack family dogs and cats. As in these circumstances, most of our investigations find either unvaccinated pets or vaccinations that have expired. Unvaccinated pets or pets with expired vaccinations must either be destroyed or placed in a double enclosure pen for six months quarantine with no human contact.”
If you have questions about rabies and vaccinations, consult your veterinarian or call your local Environmental Health County Office. But most of all, get your pets vaccinated against rabies. |
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