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If you're going to adopt a cat or kitten, get it from a reputable shelter.
That's the message that state Department of Health and animal rescue officials say people should understand in order to protect themselves and their pets from diseases such as rabies.
In June, two kittens were left at a Fairview Township farm.
One of the kittens, which bit someone on the farm, later tested positive for rabies, according to the state Department of Health.
The person who was bitten by the rabid cat, as well as other workers, residents and visitors who might have come in contact with the animal, were receiving treatment as a precaution, a department official said earlier this month.
The second kitten tested negative for the disease.
On
Senior said the department encourages people to be aware of their surroundings.
It's important to avoid contact with feral animals, she said.
"We just want to make sure people are aware of rabies," Senior said.
And if people think they were exposed, "seek medical attention," she said.
Jesse Blanton, an epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, said pets act as direct links between potentially rabid wildlife and humans.
It's important to prevent a domestic animal's chance of getting rabies, he said.
"Our general message is, 'Vaccinate your cats and dogs,' " Blanton said.
Workers at local animal shelters agreed.
"We strongly encourage people to keep their pets indoors," said Lisa DeOrnellas, co-chair of cat medical for the Helen O. Krause Animal Foundation in Dillsburg, a nonprofit, no-kill animal shelter for dogs and cats.
Most shelters, including the foundation, keep newly rescued cats and kittens confined for at least 10 days to monitor them for rabies and to test the animals for feline leukemia and Feline AIDS, she said.
"Because we don't know their history," she said.
If a cat or kitten is suspected of having rabies, it must be euthanized in order to be tested, DeOrnellas said.
"As far as adopting, try to get as much information on the kitten as you can," said Jolene Hinkle, president of Tails End Farm Animal Rescue in Chanceford Township. Sometimes feral kittens are born with rabies, she said.
Debra Trask is a volunteer for Kitz and Katz, a Hanover-based organization that offers low-cost spay, neuter and rabies vaccinations.
She said feral cats are multiplying, which can add to the spread of diseases like rabies.
"Please spay and neuter," Trask said.
ABOUT RABIES
Rabies is an infectious, viral disease that affects the nervous system of humans and other mammals. People can get rabies from the bite or scratch of a rabid animal. Between Jan. 1 and July 15, York County had 21 confirmed animal cases of rabies, according to the state Department of Health.
Here are some facts about the disease:
--- It's possible, but rare, for a person to get rabies if infectious material, such as saliva, from a rabid animal makes direct contact with the person's eyes, nose, mouth or a wound.
--- Each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collects information about cases of animal and human rabies. According to a 2006 report, 49 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico tested more than 113,000 animals and reported 6,940 cases of rabies in animals and three human cases.
--- Wild animals accounted for 92 percent of those rabies cases with raccoons topping the list followed by bats, skunks, foxes and other wild animals.
TIPS
--- Leave wildlife alone.
--- Don't leave food out that could attract feral animals.
--- Keep pet vaccinations up to date.
--- Keep pets indoors and supervise them when they're outside.
-- SOURCE: www.cdc.gov/rabies
