Rabies Alert Issued After Cat In Broward County Tests Positive

If you are in Broward county living in any of these areas, south of Interstate 595, east of SR-823, north of Griffin Road, and west of South Pine Island Road, you are advised to get your pet vaccinated against rabies.

This is especially true if they are outdoor pets. The news comes after a cat in the Davie area was found to have the disease. Dr. Christina Cormatin of Cooper City Animal clinic encourages those that give food to the stray cats take a step further and take them for a shot. This is because the disease is not just dangerous to the infected but also humans.

If an infected cat or dog bites or scratches you then it may transfer the disease to you which can be fatal.

“People that are feeding stray cats need to make sure that just feeding them is not enough. They need to, preferably, fix them and get them rabies vaccines,” Cormatin says. “It’s not difficult at all. I mean, it just involves taking them to the vet, getting a vaccine.”

According to veterinarians, rabies may manifest differently in the affected animals. Some common signs to watch out for include abnormal or uncoordinated movement, pet falling over, and in some cases, paralysis.

To avoid a potential outbreak, health officials are recommending that all parents get their pets immunized for rabies and also avoid animals such as bats, raccoons, and foxes since they can all carry and spread the disease.