Rabid cat confirmed in Thomasville
Nov. 8—THOMASVILLE — A domestic cat in the Thomasville area that was behaving erratically tested positive for rabies, the Davidson County Health Department said.
The cat, which had not been vaccinated against the disease, was taken to the Davidson County Animal Shelter for observation because of its behavior, the health department said. Officials decided to euthanize it for it to be tested, and the health department was notified on Tuesday that rabies was confirmed.
"Individuals who had confirmed contact with the animal and probable exposure to the virus have been sent for postexposure prophylaxis treatment," the health department said.
North Carolina law requires that all domestic cats, dogs, and ferrets receive the rabies vaccine by 4 months of age.
Davidson County has now had seven identified rabies cases in 2023.
North Carolina state law requires that all animal bites, domestic or wild, be promptly reported to the local health department. Incidents involving potential human exposure to the rabies virus will quickly turn tragic without proper medical treatment because the virus is 99.9% fatal in humans who do not seek immediate post-exposure treatment.
For more information about rabies prevention visit: https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/prevention/index.html
