Cat tests positive for rabies in Wilton

WILTON — A feral cat with rabies was recently discovered in the Wilton area, and public officials are reminding pet owners to make sure their animals are protected against the deadly virus.

The most common mode of rabies virus transmission is through bites and virus-containing saliva of an infected animal, according to the Sacramento County Division of Public Health. Wilton is in southern Sacramento County near Galt.

It is important for all pet owners to vaccinate their pets, including horses.

So far this year, there have been no cases of rabies reported in San Joaquin County. However, in 2016 there was one animal case, and three cases in 2015. Cases spiked in the county in 2008, with six reported, but have gone down since.

A feral kitten with rabies was discovered in San Joaquin County in 2014 — the first confirmed rabies case in the county since 2011, officials said at the time.

“This finding serves as a reminder that we must all take precautions when coming in contact with any stray, wild or unfamiliar animal, and be sure that our pets are up to date on their rabies vaccinations,” Dr. Alvaro Garza, San Joaquin County’s public health officer, said in 2014.

According to San Joaquin County Public Health Services, the first sign of rabies in an animal is usually a change in its behavior. It may become unusually aggressive or unusually tame. For example, an otherwise nocturnal and wild animal like a bat or skunk may approach humans in broad daylight.

The animal may lose fear of people and natural enemies, become excited or irritable, or it may appear unusually affectionate. Staggering, convulsions, spitting, choking, frothing at the mouth and paralysis are other symptoms the animal may display.

“(Pet) dogs (and) cats ... that are currently vaccinated should be revaccinated immediately, kept under the owner’s control, and observed for 45 days,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise. “Any illness in an isolated or confined animal should be reported immediately to the local health department.”

Animals that are unvaccinated should be euthanized immediately, the agency said. There is no approved post-exposure treatment for pets or other animals.

For humans, the first symptoms of rabies could take one to three months or possibly longer to emerge following an exposure, and may be non-specific and similar to the flu. There may be discomfort at the location of the bite.

When symptoms do appear, they can range from brain dysfunction, anxiety, confusion, agitation progressing to delirium, abnormal behavior, hallucinations and insomnia. Once clinical signs of rabies appear, the disease is nearly always fatal.