Central Coast News: Monterey County warning over rabies case | Local News

A dead cat in Monterey tested positive for rabies last week, Monterey County health officials announced Monday. Low-priced rabies clinics are provided by the health department and St. Mary’s Animal Welfare League (SMAWL) during March – November. Prior to that incident, there had been no cases of rabies in domestic animals in the county for at least 30 years, according to health officials.

The cat found the bat near the intersection of Academy Boulevard and Austin Bluffs Parkway, and the cat’s owner reported it to the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, said Shannon Rowe, El Paso County Public Health’s communicable disease program manager. In 2012, a dog from the North Monterey County area was infected with a skunk variant of rabies.

Skunks and bats are the most commonly identified rabid animals in California. The health department investigates reports of animal bites and, based on the outcome of the investigation, refers the affected person(s) to the hospital’s emergency department or to their primary health care provider for treatment and vaccination. “Pet owners should always be aware and get their pets appropriately vaccinated to avoid things like this”. Once symptoms of rabies occur, there is no treatment and the disease is almost 100% fatal in both humans and animals.

Owners of domestic livestock species such as horses, sheep, goats, pigs and cattle should discuss rabies vaccinations with their veterinarian as these species are also susceptible to rabies infections from rabid wild animals.

“Monterey County is a handsome place and it has a lot of potential contact with wildlife”, she said.