Rabid Cat Scratches Woman in Canton

A cat that scratched a woman at a Canton apartment complex has tested positive for rabies, and health officials are searching for others who might have come into contact with it.

The stray cat, described as a black and white shorthaired female, "aggressively" scratched the woman at the Cherokee South Apartments off Marietta Highway in Canton on Sept. 2, Jennifer King, the spokeswoman for the North Georgia Health District, said.

"The cat was immediately trapped and later died in its cage on Sept. 4," she said. "Cherokee County Environmental Health officials sent its remains to the state lab for rabies testing and the positive results were reported on Sept. 6."

Since then, health officials have blanketed the area around the apartment complex with bilingual alerts urging people who might have been exposed to the rabid cat to call the Cherokee County Environmental Health Office at 770-479-0444.

The woman is undergoing post rabies exposure treatment, King said.

FAST FACTS: Preventing Rabies

• Don't handle unfamiliar animals, especially those displaying sickly or unusual behavior.
• Make sure your pets have been vaccinated.
• For more rabies prevention information, call the Cherokee County Environmental Health Office at 770-479-0444. Click here for additional information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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