In Minnesota a family-owned cat tested positive for rabies on June 16, 2010. The Clay county family of five is currently undergoing rabies post-exposure injections. Their other animals are still under investigation.
This is already the fourth domestic animal in Minnesota testing positive for rabies this year. Two cows and one dog were also found to be rabies positive. Last year 69 animals tested positive for rabies in Minnesota. The breakdown was 29 bats, 27 skunks, 5 cats, 4 dogs, 3 cows, and 1 horse.
Rabies is a fatal disease for both humans and other mammals. This virus is transmitted when an infected animal bites the victim. In Minnesota the most common animals afflicted with rabies are skunks and bats. Cats, dogs, ferrets, cattle and horses are usually infected by skunks or wild carnivores. People are usually infected by dogs, cats, livestock or bats.
Signs of rabies in domestic animals include neurologic signs such as staggering, circling, paralysis, agitation, lethargy, and behavioral changes.
The Minnesota Board of Health wants to remind people that rabies is still a relatively common disease in animals in Minnesota. This is why it is so important to keep your pets current on their rabies vaccine. Rabies vaccines protect both your animal and yourself from this fatal disease.
For more information visit these websites:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/rabies/index.html
http://www.edinapethospital.com/sites/site-2424/documents/Special%20Edition%20Rabies%20June%2024%202010.pdf
-Dr. Ann Anderson