Area residents who may have been exposed to cat are urged to call Public Health Hotline

Acworth (GA) – Cherokee County Environmental Health officials received word late today that a cat that had scratched and possibly bitten an Acworth, Georgia resident has now tested positive for rabies.

The resident has begun post exposure treatment and health officials are urging area residents to call the toll-free Georgia Public Health Hotline: 1-866-PUB-HLTH (1-866-782-4584) if within the last three weeks they or their children may have been in direct contact with a black male cat that had a white belly patch. Rabies is almost always fatal if not treated immediately, before symptoms begin. 

The cat attacked the resident on Tuesday, April 17 at a mobile home on West Pine Ridge Drive in Acworth, leaving the resident with multiple claw scratches and a possible tooth scratch on the hand.

The Georgia Public Health Laboratory received the specimen for rabies testing on Wednesday, April 18, and the positive result was returned on Friday, April 20.

Health officials continue to urge residents to protect against rabies by maintaining vaccinations in their pets and to be wary of any unfamiliar animals, both domestic and wild.

For more information about rabies prevention and symptoms, call the Cherokee County Environmental Health Office at (770) 479-0444. Rabies information can also be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at www.cdc.gov/rabies.