(Washington, DC) - The District of Columbia Department of Health (DOH) continues to find feral (stray) cats with rabies from the 1700 block of Lyman Place, NE. The first cat was found on Wednesday September 22, 2010 after it attacked and bit a resident.  Additional surveillance has found two feral cats with rabies from the same block. Rabies surveillance of the feral cat population and any human contacts is ongoing.

DOH continues to post flyers in the neighborhood where the cat was picked up to inform the residents that anyone who had contact with the cat should contact the Department of Health’s staff at (202) 535-1952.  DOH is particularly interested in anyone who may have fed or touched any of the cats.

Descriptions of Cats Testing Positive for Rabies

• Adult gray cat with white patches
• Adult black cat with white patches
• Kitten with black, orange and white markings (tortoiseshell)

Symptoms of Animal Rabies

Marked changes in an animal’s behavior are symptoms of rabies.  A rabid animal may:

• Be unnaturally withdrawn
• Be unusually friendly or calm
• Be very docile
• Snap at anything in its path
• Appear in the daytime (if it’s nocturnal)
• Search for an isolated place to die

DOH will provide free rabies vaccinations to pets within the Carver neighborhood to ensure that residents have an opportunity to keep their pets up to date on their required rabies vaccination.  To arrange a vaccination, neighborhood residents should call DOH Staff at (202) 535-1952.

While there are no reports at this time of persons with rabies-related illnesses associated with these cats others in that area DOH is asking residents and visitors not to approach cats and kittens in any stray colony. If residents see animals that appear sick or are otherwise displaying unusual behavior, they should not approach the animal.  Instead, residents are asked to contact the DC Animal Care and Control Agency by calling the Mayor’s Citywide Command Center at 311, 24 hours per day. If bitten or exposed, residents should consult their physician immediately and contact animal control.

Rabies is a fatal disease transmitted from animals to humans. It is a virus that attacks the central nervous system, causing convulsions, paralysis and finally death. The virus is present in the saliva of a rabid animal and is transmitted primarily by animal bites.  Dogs and cats may contract rabies if they have not been vaccinated against it. 

For more information on the rabies disease visit the DC Department of Health website at http://hrla.doh.dc.gov/hrla/cwp/view,A,1384,Q,574052.asp.