Rabid Cat Possibly Exposed 2 People To Disease In Camden County

WATERFORD, NJ — A cat in Camden County tested positive for rabies and potentially exposed two people to the disease, officials announced Friday.

On May 16, two Waterford residents took in an injured cat they found. After multiple veterinary visits, the feline began exhibiting signs of rabies illness on Sunday.

A local animal hospital had arranged for the cat to get tested at the state Public Health & Environmental Laboratories in Trenton (PHEL). On Thursday, the PHEL alerted the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services of the positive result.

Both people were directed to their physicians to discuss rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) — a treatment involving vaccination meant to begin on the first day of rabies exposure.

Human deaths from rabies are rare in the United States, occurring only once or twice per year since 1960, according to the CDC. But rabies is fatal in more than 99 percent of cases, with no treatment once signs or symptoms emerge, so post-exposure treatment is vital for people and animals.

"Although rabies is a serious illness, it can be prevented by early treatment," County Commissioner Virginia Betteridge said in a statement. "If you have been bitten or scratched by a wild animal it is important that you seek immediate medical attention."

Betteridge, the liaison to the county health department, urged pet owners to take the following steps:

• Keep vaccinations up to date for all dogs, cats and ferrets.
• Keep your pets under direct supervision so they do not come in contact with wild animals. If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately.
• Contact your local animal control agency to remove any stray animals from your neighborhood. They may be unvaccinated and could be infected by the disease.

It's also important to avoid direct contact with unfamiliar animals, Betteridge says:

• Enjoy wild animals such as raccoons, skunks and foxes from afar. Do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or litter.
• Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home. Do not try to nurse sick animals to health. Call animal control or an animal rescue agency for assistance.
• Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they seem friendly.
• Prevent bats from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, churches, schools and other similar areas where they might come in contact with people or pets.
• When traveling abroad, avoid direct contact with wild animals and be especially careful around dogs in developing countries. Rabies is common in developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Tens of thousands of people die of rabies each year in these countries.

For more information about rabies, visit the CDC's webpage or, residents can call the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services at 856-374-6370.