Published: December 31, 2019
A stray cat that attacked a woman in the North End of Wilkes-Barre has tested positive for rabies, the city health department announced Monday.
The attack took place on East Chestnut Street on Christmas Eve, according to city animal control officer Adam Olver.
The city received the confirmed diagnosis from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, he said.
Olver said the victim, who did nothing to provoke the cat, has been to a hospital and is receiving rabies shots.
“An animal with rabies is going to attack anything in sight,” he said.
Olver said a city resident had been feeding or caring for the outdoor cat and was made aware that the attack occurred. The victim resides in another state and was in town visiting a neighbor of the cat’s caretaker, he said.
Olver said anyone who feeds
According to a city advisory, rabid animals pose a threat to humans and other animals. To minimize the risk of contracting rabies, feral cats should be avoided, especially in cases when they behave abnormally.
Residents are advised not to feed or attempt to catch feral cats. Pets in the area should be monitored when left outside, and caution should be used when walking dogs in the neighborhood. Children playing outdoors should be supervised, according to the health department.
According to the state Department of Agriculture, rabies is a virus of the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) that can affect any mammal. Signs of rabies may include aggression, loss of fear, attraction to noise and human activity, excessive vocalization, biting at objects or other animals.
More information about rabies can be found online at: www.agriculture.pa.gov/Animals/AHDServices/diseases/Pages/Rabies.aspx.
Anyone who has questions or who encounters a feral cat that is acting abnormally should call the Wilkes-Barre City Health Department at 570-208-4268.
Contact the writer:
[email protected]al cats also should make sure they are given rabies shots.
https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/wilkes-barre-issues-rabid-cat-warning-1.2577648
Rabies in PA
This year through Nov. 11, there have been seven confirmed cases of rabies in animals in Luzerne County – three cats, two groundhogs, one bat and one skunk – and 410 cases statewide. Animals with confirmed cases of rabies statewide are:
Raccoon — 197
Cat — 63
Bat — 58
Skunk — 39
Fox — 28
Groundhog — 11
Horse — 5
Cow — 3
Dog-4
Bobcat — 3
Deer — 1
Weasel — 1
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
A stray cat that attacked a woman in the North End of Wilkes-Barre has tested positive for rabies, the city health department announced Monday.
The attack took place on East Chestnut Street on Christmas Eve, according to city animal control officer Adam Olver.
The city received the confirmed diagnosis from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, he said.
Olver said the victim, who did nothing to provoke the cat, has been to a hospital and is receiving rabies shots.
“An animal with rabies is going to attack anything in sight,” he said.
Olver said a city resident had been feeding or caring for the outdoor cat and was made aware that the attack occurred. The victim resides in another state and was in town visiting a neighbor of the cat’s caretaker, he said.
Olver said anyone who feeds
According to a city advisory, rabid animals pose a threat to humans and other animals. To minimize the risk of contracting rabies, feral cats should be avoided, especially in cases when they behave abnormally.
Residents are advised not to feed or attempt to catch feral cats. Pets in the area should be monitored when left outside, and caution should be used when walking dogs in the neighborhood. Children playing outdoors should be supervised, according to the health department.
According to the state Department of Agriculture, rabies is a virus of the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) that can affect any mammal. Signs of rabies may include aggression, loss of fear, attraction to noise and human activity, excessive vocalization, biting at objects or other animals.
More information about rabies can be found online at: www.agriculture.pa.gov/Animals/AHDServices/diseases/Pages/Rabies.aspx.
Anyone who has questions or who encounters a feral cat that is acting abnormally should call the Wilkes-Barre City Health Department at 570-208-4268.
Contact the writer:
[email protected]al cats also should make sure they are given rabies shots.
https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/wilkes-barre-issues-rabid-cat-warning-1.2577648
Rabies in PA
This year through Nov. 11, there have been seven confirmed cases of rabies in animals in Luzerne County – three cats, two groundhogs, one bat and one skunk – and 410 cases statewide. Animals with confirmed cases of rabies statewide are:
Raccoon — 197
Cat — 63
Bat — 58
Skunk — 39
Fox — 28
Groundhog — 11
Horse — 5
Cow — 3
Dog-4
Bobcat — 3
Deer — 1
Weasel — 1
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
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