Susan Miers Smith: Rabid cat attacked Berks man, another feline possibly infected, ARL says

Apr. 9—There has been one confirmed case of rabies in a cat captured in St. Lawrence after it attacked a man on Parkview Road on Tuesday and another report Friday of a different cat showing symptoms on Jacksonwald Avenue.

The Animal Rescue League of Berks County said in a statement released Friday that the cat who attacked the man was a black medium-sized shorthaired female.

The captured cat was euthanized and samples were sent to be tested. There is no way to test a live animal for rabies.

"It was sent to the lab and results came back Wednesday," said Jose Joel Delgado-Rivera, the ARL's chief communications officer, in an email Friday.

"We immediately responded to the resident's call and secured the cat," said Savannah Baller, a humane police officer with the ARL's Department of Animal Protection, in a prepared statement. "At the moment, we know that this cat scratched a resident's leg, who was already notified and received proper treatment. If anyone else was bitten or scratched by an animal in this area, they should seek medical attention immediately."

The second cat reported to be exhibiting potential rabies symptoms is a medium to large brown tabby domestic short hair, Delgado-Rivera said. Baller was still in the neighborhood late Friday afternoon trying to capture it.

"Residents reported that the first cat was part of a significantly-sized cat colony in the area, so we activated our protocols and started trapping the cats to get them examined, neutered and vaccinated immediately to slow and stop the virus from spreading," said Alexis Pagoulatos, ARL's CEO, in the statement.

Delgado-Rivera said 16 cats from that colony had been trapped as of Friday.

"We are checking them for wounds, neutering, vaccinating them and releasing back," he said. "If the cat shows puncture wounds, by Department of Health directions, the cat is euthanized."

He said two had been euthanized so far.

"We are thoroughly examining every animal for signs of bite or scratch wounds prior to vaccinating and releasing them," said Dr. Jason Banning, lead veterinarian at the ARL, in an email Friday. "Because rabies is only contagious for a maximum of 10 days prior to death of the infected cat, we can be fairly confident that we would see any signs of transmission on examination."

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, there were two cases of rabies reported in March in Berks County: one raccoon and one bat.

"Residents will see ARL staff and representatives in the area spreading the news and humanely trapping cats for examination and TNR likely for several weeks as we strategically target this problem," Pagoulatos said.

Thursday afternoon the Exeter Township School District tweeted a warning to residents.

The district also issued a Code Red on its website, exetersd.org, warning residents to stay away from outdoor animals, keep their indoor pets inside and to stay vigilant for rabies symptoms.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a rabid animal may act strangely. They may be aggressive and try biting humans or other animals and they may drool excessively. They also can act timid or overly tame. Infected animals may have problems swallowing and have trouble moving.

"The ARL jumped on it very quickly," said Allison Leinbach, St. Lawrence borough manager.

"It's extremely important to get the word out and to no longer allow house cats to roam outside," Leinbach said. "With all the traffic we have and the whole nature of being outdoors, it's dangerous."

She said one thing the borough was afraid of was that there would be residents shooting cats and endangering other people and pets in the vicinity.

Leinbach cautioned anyone who sees a cat acting suspiciously to call 911 and to be very specific in reporting the location so police can locate it.

"Police can call the ARL 24/7," she said.

She also reminded residents to be sure to watch children outdoors and at the borough playground, which is near where the cats have been trapped.

"The little ones might not know it's not OK to pet the kitty," Leinbach said.

The National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians published a paper in 2016 that said there is no treatment for rabies for animals.

"Per the Rabies Compendium, there are no USDA-approved treatments for unvaccinated dogs and cats and there is evidence that the rabies vaccine alone cannot reliably prevent the disease and therefore euthanasia is recommended," Banning said. "However, the animal may instead be placed in strict quarantine for four months while being observed for signs of rabies. A rabies vaccine should be administered at the beginning of this quarantine period. We have been in close contact with community members regarding the possibility of this quarantine as an option for any cases we see with possible exposures, i.e. bite and scratch wounds."

Free vaccine clinic for St. Lawrence residents

The Animal Rescue League of Berks County will hold a free pet vaccination clinic for the residents of St. Lawrence on April 12 and April 21 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at St. Lawrence Borough Hall, 3540 St. Lawrence Ave.