Rabid Feral Kitten Scratched Vet Tech: Cops

COVENTRY, RI — A rabid stray kitten bit an Ocean State Veterinary Specialists tech, police said.

An officer with the East Greenwich Police Department was sent to Ocean State Veterinary Specialists on July 14 to pick up a couple suspected rabies specimens and deliver them to the Rhode Island Department of Health lab, according to a police report.

"They are from a rabid, feral cat case in coventry and one of the kittens had scratched a tech at OSVS," the report said, noting, "Coventry was unavailable for transport."

Related: Rabid Stray Cat Scratched Someone In Coventry: RIDOH

An officer picked up the specimens and "handed them over to lab staff," the report said.

On July 10, a stray cat found in the area of Newell Court in Coventry tested positive for rabies, the Rhode Island Department of Health reported.

"The cat was tested after scratching a person in that area on" Monday, RIDOH said in a media release.
"Rabies is a fatal disease if it is not treated before the onset of symptoms," the release said.

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The person who suffered the cat scratch, along with a second person who had contact with the rabid cat, had "started treatment with post-exposure prophylaxis," RIDOH said in the aftermath of the incident.

Rabies is potentially deadly, RIDOH warned.

"The rabies virus infects the central nervous system," the department said. "If a person does not receive the appropriate medical care after a rabies exposure, the virus can cause disease in the brain, ultimately resulting in death. Rabies treatment must be started as soon as possible after exposure and before symptoms appear."