Fredericksburg Cat Tests Positive For Rabies After Biting Person

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — A stray cat that had bitten a person in the city of Fredericksburg was confirmed positive for rabies last Friday. The cat was picked up from the 100 block of Longstreet Ave. in the city on March 31.

The person bitten is receiving rabies prevention vaccinations, according to the Rappahannock Area Health District. The cat is believed to be part of a feral cat colony living in the area.

It is possible other cats in the colony could be exposed and infectious with rabies, the health district warned.

Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system. It is preventable in animals through vaccinations, but is fatal to both animals and humans if left untreated.

Exposure to rabies is considered any time a bite, scratch or other circumstance where saliva or central nervous system tissue from a rabid or potentially rabid animal enters an open, fresh wound or comes in contact with a mucous membrane by entering the eye, mouth, or nose.

People should not approach or touch wild animals or unknown domestic animals, and report any abnormal behavior involving these animals. All animal bites and rabies exposures should be reported to the Fredericksburg Health Department at 540-899-4142.