Woman bit by feral, rabid cat in northern Wake County
A woman was bitten by a feral cat with rabies last weekend, Wake County officials announced Friday.
It happened Sunday between Rolesville and Wake Forest, at the intersection of U.S. 401 and Pulley Town Road. The cat was later found dead and tested positive for rabies on Monday.
No other bites or incidents involving the cat have been reported, but the cat is believed to have been part of a group of feral cats living nearby, according to a Wake County news release. A communicable disease nurse and an Animal Control officer canvassed the neighborhood to see if others had encountered the animal.
Anyone in the area who may have been exposed to a feral cat is asked to call the Wake County Communicable Disease line at 919-250-4462. People or pets who have been bitten or scratched should obtain medical care.
Two rabid animals, a fox and bat, were found in Raleigh in May.
Rabies is a viral disease that can spread to people and pets through bites and scratches by a rabid animal.
It infects the nervous system, and people who are not treated can experience flu-like symptoms that progress into delirium, The News & Observer previously reported.
“Once clinical signs of rabies appear, the disease is nearly always fatal, and treatment is typically supportive,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Less than 20 cases of human survival from clinical rabies have been documented.”
Low-cost rabies clinics
▪ The city of Raleigh has two low-cost rabies clinics set for later this fall.
- 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sept. 15, Anderson Point Park, 20 Andrews Point Drive
- 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sept. 29, Dorothea Dix Park, 1030 Richardson Drive
▪ The next Orange County Animal Services clinic is 9 a.m. - noon June 22 at 5800 N.C. 86 N. in Cedar Grove.
▪ The Durham County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services Division provides rabies vaccines for a $10 cash fee. People can call 919-560-0630 to set up an appointment. Pets must be at least 4 months old and people must have photo identification showing they are a Durham County resident.
This story was originally published June 7, 2024 at 1:41 PM.
