After an injured cat was introduced inside by a resident, it was taken to a neighborhood vet after which an animal shelter. The cat then started exhibiting indicators of rabies, was euthanized and the shelter organized for rabies testing on the state Public Health & Environmental Laboratories in Trenton (PHEL). On November 20, the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services was notified by PHEL that the animal was rabid.
There are two human exposures to the cat. These people have been notified and have been directed to their physicians to debate rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). There have been additionally three cats uncovered to the rabid cat and the house owners have been directed to get the cats boosters for rabies.
“Although rabies is a serious illness, it can be prevented by early treatment,” stated Commissioner Virginia Betteridge, liaison to the Camden County Health Department. “If you have been bitten or scratched by a wild animal it is important that you seek immediate medical attention.”
Betteridge urged county residents to look at just a few easy guidelines, together with performing responsibly as a pet proprietor:
- Keep vaccinations updated for all dogs, cats, and ferrets.
- Keep your pets below direct supervision so they don’t are available in contact with wild animals. If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, search veterinary help for the animal instantly.
- Contact your native animal management company to take away any stray animals out of your neighborhood. They could also be unvaccinated and may very well be contaminated by the illness.
Betteridge stated it’s also essential to keep away from direct contact with unfamiliar animals:
- Enjoy wild animals resembling raccoons, skunks, and foxes from afar. Do not deal with, feed, or unintentionally entice wild animals with open rubbish cans or liter.
- Never undertake wild animals or convey them into your home. Do not attempt to nurse sick animals to well being. Call animal management or an animal rescue company for help.
- Teach kids by no means to deal with unfamiliar animals, wild or home, even when they appear pleasant.
- Prevent bats from getting into residing quarters or occupied areas in properties, church buildings, colleges, and different related areas the place they may are available in contact with folks or pets.
- When touring overseas, keep away from direct contact with wild animals and be particularly cautious round dogs in growing international locations. Rabies is widespread in growing international locations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Tens of hundreds of individuals die of rabies annually in these international locations.
More data is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/
