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An alert was issued on Friday, Feb. 9, advising the community that a cat that was tracked down on Talbot Run Road near Black Angle Road in Frederick County has a confirmed case of the virus.
The cat had been quarantining at Frederick Animal Control since Monday, and was tested for rabies after developing questionable neurological signs, officials say. It was described as a 4-year-old black, domestic shorthair, intact male feline with "deformed teeth from a previous injury."
According to the Health Department, "rabies is a viral disease that mainly infects mammals and is spread through the saliva of the infected animal, usually by a bite."
Symptoms of rabies in animals may include fear of water, excessive salivation, failure to eat or drink, limping, unusually friendly or aggressive behavior, and/or other atypical behaviors such as nocturnal animals emerging during the daytime.
The disease is nearly always fatal to humans once infected if no prompt post-exposure treatment is given.
As a precaution, health officials say that anyone who may have had contact with the cat between Monday, Jan. 22, and Feb. 5 should consult their doctors and notify the agency's Community Health Services Office by calling (301) 600-3342.
Owners of pets who may have been exposed to the cat can also call the department's Environmental Health Office at (301) 600-1717.
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