Pickens County Animal Control Officers Exposed to Rabid Cat

Pickens County Animal Control Officers Exposed to Rabid Cat
Undergoing Rabies Post Exposure Vaccinations

Jasper (GA) – Two Pickens County Animal Control Officers have begun post exposure rabies vaccinations due to exposure to a cat that has now tested positive for rabies.

Three weeks ago, a stray cat was found on Lambert Street in downtown Jasper, Georgia and brought to the Pickens County Animal Shelter. Other than having a bite mark, the small adult black and white female cat seemed healthy until it started exhibiting neurological symptoms. It was then sent to the Georgia Public Health Laboratory for rabies testing on Tuesday, May 21. The following day, the lab reported the cat tested positive for rabies.

The two animal control officers are believed to be the only ones exposed to the cat while it became symptomatic for rabies during a 21-day quarantine it had been placed under since arriving to the shelter. Therefore, no other recommendations or warnings are being issued related to this case.

Health officials continue to urge the public to avoid all unfamiliar animals and to report bites or scratches from any animal that could potentially be unvaccinated against rabies to a healthcare provider and to the local environmental health office immediately. The Pickens County Environmental Health Office phone number is (706) 253-0900. If calling after hours, please call the Georgia Poison Control Center, toll-free, at 1-800-222-1222.

For more information about rabies and its prevention, please log onto the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/.