Rabies in Rockland: 2 kittens test negative; 98 get vaccines against deadly virus

Two kittens that were exposed to a rabid kitten have tested negative for the deadly virus. Officials at Rockland Green, the countywide solid waste authority that operates the county’s animal shelter, said the incident has led to an ongoing state review of protocols for the shelter and its operator, Four Legs Good.

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"That's a positive outcome in a sense," said Rockland Green Executive Director Gerard Damiani. The agency wants to make sure it follows best practices, he said, and that its fosters do, too.

Rocky, the original kitten that was later discovered to have rabies, was placed with a foster in October. Damiani said that protocol would have had the kitten, too young to be vaccinated against rabies, kept away from other animals or people.

But he said, the foster brought in two other kittens that she apparently found on her own, and housed them all at a therapeutic private school in Nyack.

Approximately 85 students and staff at Summit School are undergoing a series of rabies vaccinations after caring for Rocky, the first kitten, according to the New York State Department of Health.

A total of 98 individuals, including those at the school, needed post-exposure rabies vaccinations, according to the Rockland County Department of Health.

Why were kittens at school?

Rocky had been surrendered to the Rockland Green shelter on Oct. 23. Because the Pomona shelter couldn't accommodate the tiny kitten's needs, which included isolation and bottle feeding, Four Legs Good contacted a foster.

Rocky was estimated to be around 4 weeks old; kittens can't be vaccinated against rabies until 12 weeks. She had visible injuries, but Damiani said two veterinarians had cleared her.

The other two kittens appeared to be around the same age. They were cared for through Summit School's Pets for Purpose Animal Care Program, in which day and residential students participated.

Rocky fell ill a few weeks later and was euthanized and tested for rabies Nov. 2.

"We didn't know until Nov. 6 that (Rocky) was with the other two at Summit," Damiani said.

Rockland County Department of Health and Four Legs Good determined the two kittens would be quarantined for up to six months.

During quarantine at Four Legs Good's New City headquarters, one of the kittens fell ill and died. The other was euthanized and they were both sent to the state's Wadsworth Lab for rabies testing.

Testing returned Tuesday night showed the kittens were negative for rabies, Damiani said.

Risks, best practices

Damiani said Rockland Green continues to review the system breakdown, which he said involved a failure to follow quarantine protocols. "You don't bring an animal that's not fully vaccinated and share it with (other) animals."

Hudson Valley Humane Society, located in Pomona, doesn't place animals in foster care, HVHS Executive Director Ann Marie Gaudio said, because the animals are usually very young.

"These animals are not age-eligible to be properly vaccinated," Gaudio said, "and that puts the foster guardians at risk. It also puts anyone those guardians permit in contact with the animal at risk."

Damiani said more quarantine space is part of the plans for a new shelter that is expected to be constructed in Haverstraw.

He also said the agency has launched the first countywide trap, neuter, vaccinate and release program, often referred to as TNR, to tackle the county's feral cat problem. "They get the rabies vaccination and that's important," Damiani said. "If we don't address the feral cat population in Rockland County, you can never build a big enough shelter."

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Four Legs Good took over operation of the county animal shelter in September. The change came as Rockland Green terminated its temporary contract with longtime nonprofit operator Hi-Tor Animal Care Center. Rockland Green said the change was made after a reported outbreak of a feline virus “which went uncontrolled and resulted in the death of a considerable number of felines.”

Rabies in the region

Rabies is present throughout the continental United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. While mandatory pet vaccinations have made the disease rare over the decades, the disease is widespread among wildlife in New York, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

It can take weeks or months for symptoms to show. The rabies virus is fatal by the time symptoms appear.

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Preventive treatment in humans consists of a series of rabies immune globulin. After the first course, or the "Day 0" dose of rabies vaccination, follow-up rabies vaccinations are given on Days 3, 7 and 14 from exposure. Those shots are given in the deltoid muscle, alternating arms for each sequence.

For those exposed through contact with Rocky, the first doses were given by Nyack and Good Samaritan hospitals, and subsequent doses are being administered by the Rockland County Health Department.

Gaudio of HVHS said several years ago, she and another HVHS worker had been exposed to rabies while caring for a 5-week-old kitten. They both underwent the vaccine series.

Rabies is a risk for animal welfare workers even when they take precautions, Gaudio said, which is why it's so important to mitigate the risk for the general public.

"We keep it very, very contained," Gaudio said Tuesday. "The general public only meets our animals that have been vaccinated, neutered, microchipped."

Rockland Green, in its notice about the rabies case, issued a reminder that various organizations in the county monitor and manage feral cat colonies.

Anyone who encounters feral cat colonies can contact Rockland Green for assistance at 845-753-2200.

Nancy Cutler writes about People & Policy for lohud.com and the USA Today Network New York. Reach her at ncutler@lohud.com; follow her at @nancyrockland on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Threads

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Rabies tests on kittens negative for deadly virus after case in school