A cat found in Lullwater Park on January 31 has tested positive for rabies, according to DeKalb County Animal Control. The park is near the intersection of Clifton and North Decatur roads.

The cat bit two people who are now receiving appropriate treatment for exposure to rabies. The DeKalb County Animal Control Division has distributed flyers and made automated calls to homes and businesses in the area.

Rabies, a sometimes fatal disease, occurs mostly in animals, but may be transmitted to humans by contact with a rabid animal.

Health experts at the Board of Health ask that anyone who was either in or around the vicinity of the park and was scratched or bitten by a stray or unfamiliar animal seek medical care immediately.

"Any person who is bitten or scratched by a wild animal should clean the wound with soap and water and take immediate medical action," advises Dr. Stuart Brown, medical director of the DeKalb County Board of Health.

Medical treatment for rabies includes administering rabies immune globulin to prevent the disease from developing.

"Area residents can reduce their risk of rabies exposure by not leaving trash outside uncovered or feeding wild animals. People should also never approach an unfamiliar or strangely acting wild animal," Dr. Brown says.

DeKalb County law requires current rabies vaccinations for cats and dogs. Unvaccinated pets that are bitten or scratched by a possibly rabid animal are quarantined for a mandatory six-month period and may be destroyed. Vaccinated cats and dogs face a shorter quarantine.

Area residents who have outdoor pets should observe their animal’s behavior closely and not allow their pets to run free. People should notify DeKalb County Animal Control about any pet or wild animal that acts unusually nervous or aggressive or has excessive drooling or foaming at the mouth. Call (404) 294-2996 on weekdays and Saturdays or (404) 294-2519 during evenings and on Sundays.

For information about DeKalb County Board of Health services, call (404) 294-3700. To learn more about rabies, visit http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies.

02/04/02