Rabid Kitten Could Have Infected A Dozen People Across 3 Counties

EDISON, NJ — A rabid kitten that was found and adopted in Edison was brought to public locations in three counties, and might have exposed more than a dozen people to rabies, state health officials said on Thursday.

The cat was found on Nov. 12 near Woodbridge Ave and Mill Road in Edison. A concerned resident took the cat inside to care for it, but its' health began deteriorating on Nov. 23, and it was euthanized three days later. State officials say the kitten was exposed to people at a school, hospital, veterinarian's office and Thanksgiving party during the two weeks it was adopted.

It can take anywhere from 12 days to six months for symptoms to begin after an animal or person is infected, officials said.

Officials told Patch the owner took the kitten with them whenever they went out because the kitten was young enough to require bottle feeding.

Between Nov. 13 and 16, the owner brought the kitten to classes at Branford Hall Career Institute in Hamilton Township. Officials believe two classmates were exposed to the kitten.

On either Nov. 13 or 14, the owner brought the kitten to work with them at a Middlesex County hospital. The kitten stayed in a carrier the whole time and the owner said no one was exposed to it there.

The kitten didn't display any rabies symptoms during Nov. 16 wellness check at a Monmouth County veterinary facility. The next day, the kitten went to a Thanksgiving party in Old Bridge where it interacted with about a dozen people, officials said. Some guests told officials the kitten scratched or licked them.

Rabies symptoms first showed up on Nov. 23, officials said, when the kitten stopped eating and became fatigued. The next day the kitten's rear legs became weak. It was taken for a vet appointment in Monmouth County on Nov. 25, and was euthanized the next day.

The owner began post-exposure prophylaxis on Nov. 28, and officials are urging anyone exposed to the kitten to call a medical or veterinary health care provider.

“Cats have accounted for 85 percent of the domestic animal cases in New Jersey since 1989 because many roam free and are generally not vaccinated against rabies,” State Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Colin Campbell said. “Over the past five years, there have been about 20 cats infected with rabies annually.”

The total number of humans and animals exposed has not yet been determined, officials said, but anyone who believes they have been exposed should contact a medical professional.

“Human rabies cases are rare in the United States and treatment is 100 percent effective if given promptly,” Campbell said. “Treatment is a dose of rabies immune globulin and a series of rabies vaccinations over 14 days. People exposed to the rabies virus should be treated promptly to prevent infection. If untreated, rabies infections can be fatal.”

Officials also warned against taking in stray animals, and encouraged people to only adopt from licensed shelters or pounds.

Rabies is a deadly disease that is spread by saliva. If untreated rabies attacks the central nervous system and causes death. Rabid animals usually appear aggressive, vicious, or disoriented, and should be avoided.

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