Habersham County Animal Care and Control announced a positive rabies case near Sunshine Circle in Cornelia.
The county received a report of a resident bitten by a stray cat on Thursday, Oct. 23. Animal control responded to the call and impounded the cat.
The cat was displaying clinical signs of rabies and was humanely euthanized. The cat was then sent to the CDC State Laboratory for rabies testing.
The positive test was received on Tuesday, marking the fourth positive case in Habersham this year.
“This is a reminder to check that your pet’s vaccinations are current. Dogs and cats who receive an initial rabies vaccination are not considered immunized until 28 days after the vaccine has been administered; therefore, it is strongly recommended that any animal newly vaccinated or those too young to receive the vaccine (less than three months) not be left outdoors unattended.” Madi Nix, HCACC Director, said. “We cannot stress enough that free feeding feral cats is detrimental to the animals and the community. Unmanaged colonies spread disease among our furry friends and also put our human population at risk.”
Additionally, residents are advised to:
- Avoid wildlife and animals you do not know
- Do not allow your pet to roam; it can come in contact with rabid wildlife
- Never feed or touch wild animals, especially bats, skunks, raccoons, or foxes
- Seek medical attention immediately if bitten or exposed to saliva of a wild animal
- Vaccinating your pets for rabies
To learn more about HCACC, visit https://www.habershamga.com/animal-control.cfm.
To learn more about the rabies virus, visit https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/index.html
The post Habersham County officials warn residents of positive rabies test in Cornelia appeared first on AccessWdun.
