Rabies Alert Issued For North Tampa Area After Cat Tests Positive

TEMPLE TERRACE, FL — The Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County has issued a rabies alert for the area surrounding East Bank Drive in the northeast Tampa area after a cat tested positive for rabies Monday.

The cat was a black domestic short-haired stray cat. One person was confirmed to have been exposed and has begun rabies post-exposure vaccinations.

This rabies alert is for 60 days and includes the area bounded by Puritan Road on the north, 56th Street to the east, East Sligh Avenue to the south and the Hillsborough River to the west.

This is the second rabies alert the health department issued in Hillsborough County Tuesday.

The county also issued an alert for Glen Harwell Road in Plant City after a white and gray stray cat tested positive for rabies. Two people were confirmed exposed and have begun post-rabies vaccinations.

This alert is for 60 days as well and includes the area bordered by Interstate 4 to the north, Branch Forbes Road to the east, U.S. 92 to the south and Bethlehem Road to the west.

Anyone who has been bitten, scratched or exposed to the saliva of these cats is asked to report the exposure to DOH-Hillsborough at 813-307-8059.

The DOH is reminding residents to stay away from wild animals and make sure all their pets are vaccinated and do not roam free.

Rabies is a disease of the nervous system and is fatal to warm-blooded animals and humans. The only treatment for human exposure to rabies is rabies-specific immune globulin and rabies immunizations.

People who have been bitten or scratched by wild or domestic animals should seek medical attention right away.