By KATHY CHAISSON
Staff Writer
ATHOL — Board of Health Agent Deborah Vondal has confirmed that on Feb. 7, an adult domestic cat was tested positive for rabies. A letter written by Vondal was provided to Animal Control Officer Jennifer Arsenault who distributed it door-to-door to the Gage Road neighborhood where the cat lived.
According to the statement, the cat was an older, long hair orange colored male indoor/outdoor cat. Vondal said that there was a very short window that he was outside. “This is the first confirmed case in the 12 years I’ve been doing this job,” she said. “It doesn’t happen very often.” The infectious time frame is one to 10 days, making it a recent contact.
Vondal stressed that rabies cases are taken “very seriously.” The Board of Health must follow protocol set at the state level before information is released publicly that may have a negative affect or cause a panic situation. “It’s quite a network,” she said. The state, Public Health nurse and the Animal Control Officer are all made aware and facts are collected case by case.
Rabies cannot be spread by casual contact or petting an animal. It can be exposed through a bite, scratch or saliva of an infected animal that gets into an open wound, the eyes, nose or mouth. The rabies virus enters through the wound or mucous membrane where it lies dormant for a time, then enters into the nervous system and travels to the brain, then to the salivary glands and sheds into saliva. At this point the virus can be spread. Symptoms in an animal include vicious or aggressive behavior or shyness, tiredness, or a sick or dazed appearance.
There are a couple of ways that rabies can present itself, according to ACO Arsenault: “If they are showing any neurological symptoms, or what we call ‘the drunk walk,’ or if the animal is biting objects like an unmoving tire.” The second way is “the animal is just lying there sick.”
If these symptoms occur and if the animal comes in contact with any human or domestic animal, Arsenault strongly recommends testing. “Rabies can kill, but it is also preventable.”
Arsenault said that the symptoms can mimic other diseases. “We’ve tested animals that were obviously sick or in bad shape we thought were positive, but it wasn’t rabies.” It’s usually wildlife that gets tested for rabies, she said, recalling two foxes in Royalston last year that tested positive and had human contact.
Arsenault recommends people stay away from wildlife. “If you have an animal, particularly a cat, and allow it to go outside and roam and it comes back with a wound of unknown origin, take it to a vet to see if it needs a booster and to be quarantined.” She also reminds owners to make sure their pets are updated on their rabies shots.
If a person goes to the doctor’s office for an animal bite, it is mandated that it be reported to the Board of Health and Animal Control. The animal control officer quarantines the pet for 10 days.
Vondal urges anyone who believes they may have been exposed to rabies to contact the Athol Board of Health or the MA Department of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology and Immunization at 617-983-6800. If a pet appears to have been exposed contact Animal Control at 978-249-2494 or the pet’s veterinarian.
Arsenault also recommends checking out www.cdc.gov for more information about rabies.