Rabies alert: Broward cat tests positive. What does that means for you and your pets?

Health officials have issued a rabies alert in Fort Lauderdale.

The Florida Department of Health in Broward County issued the alert for portions of Fort Lauderdale Wednesday afternoon after a feral cat tested positive for the disease. Health officials are cautioning that rabies could also be circulating in other parts of the county.

The rabies alert is for 60 days and includes the following portions of Broward County:

▪ Sunrise Boulevard to the north

▪ The Middle River to the west

▪ The Middle River to the east

▪ Middle River Drive to the south

What is rabies? How does it spread?

Rabies is a deadly disease that commonly occurs in wild animals including raccoon’s, bats, foxes, skunks, otters, bobcats and coyotes. In Florida wildlife, rabies is most commonly found in raccoon and bats, according to Broward’s health department. Outside cats are also the most common domestic animals in Florida to get rabies because it’s difficult to keep them up to date on their vaccinations.

An infected animal can spread the virus through its saliva by biting another animal or a person. It’s also possible for rabies to spread when saliva from an infected animal comes into contact with an open cut on the skin or the eyes, nose, or mouth of a person or animal, though this is less common, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Rabies affects the nervous system and is fatal to animals and humans, according to Broward’s health department.

Signs your pet might have rabies

“Animals with rabies may show a variety of signs, including fearfulness, aggression, excessive drooling, difficulty swallowing, staggering, paralysis and seizures. Aggressive behavior is common, but rabid animals may also be uncharacteristically affectionate. Horses and livestock with rabies also may exhibit depression, self-mutilation, or increased sensitivity to light,” according to the American Vetinerary Medical Association. “Rabid wild animals may lose their natural fear of humans, and display unusual behavior; for example, an animal that is usually only seen at night may be seen wandering in the daytime.”

Keep in mind that the association says that once “the outward signs of the disease appear, rabies is nearly always fatal.”

How to protect pets from rabies? And what if you get exposed to rabies?

▪ Cats, ferrets, and dogs are required by Florida law to get vaccinated against rabies so it’s important to keep their rabies immunization up to date. There are also approved rabies vaccines for horses, cattle and sheep, according to the vet association.

▪ It’s a good idea to keep your pets indoors, and if going outside, keep your pet on a leash.

▪ Broward’s health department is also recommending people avoid handling, feeding or unintentionally attracting wild animals with outdoor food, such as uncovered trash, leaving pet food outside, or garbage. And teach your kids not to touch wild animals. They also shouldn’t touch stray cats and dogs.

▪ If your pet is bitten by another animal, contact your veterinarian.

▪ If you or another person gets bitten or scratched by a wild or domestic animal, clean the bite or scratch with soap and water and speak with a healthcare provider to see if you should get rabies postexposure prophylaxis, which can help protect you from the disease.

“The only preventive measure for human exposure to rabies is rabies specific immune globulin and rabies immunization,” the health department said.

To learn more about rabies, visit https://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/rabies/index.html