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Arlington County Seeks Possibly Rabid Kitten
   posted 4:19 pm Fri July 06, 2007 - Arlington, Va.
Arlington County health officials are looking for a stray kitten and its mother that could have been exposed to rabies.
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The Animal Welfare League of Arlington believes the mother and the kitten belonged to a three-kitten litter. One kitten has already tested positive for rabies; another has been captured and will be evaluated.

A humane trap has been set in the neighborhood in an effort to capture them.

ABC 7 News myTAKE - What's Your Opinion?Twenty-three people who came into contact with the kitten that tested positive for rabies are undergoing preventive treatment. The treatment involves a series of five shots administered on schedule over 28 days.

Residents of the Arlington Ridge neighborhood found the kitten near Fort Scott Park and took it in. The Animal Welfare League of Arlington removed the kitten from their home after it became sick, and the State Laboratory tested it for rabies. The name of the family is being withheld for privacy reasons.

Arlington Public Health Director Dr. Reuben Varghese, MD, MPH, said in a statement, "[t]his case is a sobering reminder of how important it is to avoid contact with all wild and stray animals - even cute kittens,"

To report a sick or injured animal, call the Animal Welfare League of Arlington at 703-931-9241.

For information on rabies, contact the Arlington County Public Health Department at 703-228-5200, option #5.

Statement from Arlington County:

There were six confirmed animal rabies cases in Arlington in 2006, all found in wild animals. During the first six months of 2007, there were four confirmed animal rabies cases in the County, three in raccoons and one in a cat.

"Typically, raccoons, bats, foxes and skunks may be infected with rabies - and these animals are all common in Northern Virginia," said Kay Speersta, Executive Director of the Animal Welfare League of Arlington. "But we need to remember that even dogs and cats can contract the disease if unvaccinated."

With summer here, residents are spending more time outdoors, and coming into more frequent contact with animals, Varghese said. "The best way to help injured or sick animals is to contact the Animal Welfare League of Arlington for their assistance," he said. "Don't feed wild or stray animals. Don't handle them."

Rabies

Rabies is an almost invariably fatal disease of the brain and nervous system. It is caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system and causes acute encephalitis. The virus is spread through the saliva of the infected mammals. Although almost any mammal can be infected, the disease most commonly appears in carnivores. Required rabies vaccinations of domestic dogs and cats has almost eliminated the disease in these pets in Virginia.

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