Health Department Reports Rabid Kitten Found in Robinson
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 7, 2016
CONTACT:
Melissa Wade
Public Health Information Officer
412-578-8312 office
412-339-7995 cell
[email protected]
Kitten Found in Robinson Township Tests Positive
PITTSBURGH – The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) is reporting another rabid animal. A small tabby kitten found this past Sunday, July 3, in the parking lot of building #3 of the Penn Center West Office Complex located on Campbells Run Road in Robinson Township tested positive for rabies. Anyone who thinks they may have been in contact with the kitten is asked to call ACHD at 412-687-2243.
The Health Department is advising everyone, in the area of the Penn Center West Office Complex, to be cautious of stray and wild animals.
Any individual who is bitten, scratched or otherwise exposed to saliva from a stray or any other animal, should immediately cleanse the contact area with soap and water, seek emergency medical treatment and call the Allegheny County Health Department, 412-687-2243, to report the incident.
Rabies is a virus transmitted by an animal bite or scratch. It is almost always fatal when left untreated. However, the rabies vaccine is highly effective when given promptly after an exposure. The best prevention is to avoid stray animals, wild animals, or those acting strangely.
So far this year, including the kitten announced today, five rabid animals have been reported in Allegheny County – a bat in Mt. Lebanon, a bat in Bethel Park, a raccoon in Verona, all reported in January or February, as well as a raccoon, in Millvale, informed by the Health Department just yesterday.
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Karen Hacker, MD, MPH, Director
Allegheny County Health Department – Public Information Office
542 Fourth Avenue • Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone (412) 687-ACHD • Fax (412) 578-8325 • www.achd.net
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So sad. Will it be euthanized?
Well…the only way to test for rabies is to take some brain tissue, so the kitten was euthanized to be tested. Kind of sad, but that’s the sad thing about rabies. I just wonder where it came from.