NEW JERSEY (KYW Newsradio)
— A kitten that was up for adoption at the Burlington County Animal Shelter tested positive for rabies. Anyone who came in contact with the animal is encouraged to seek medical attention.
A stray Black and brown kitten found in Maple Shade was brought to the Burlington County Animal Shelter in Westampton on May 29. The animal was quarantined as part of normal protocol, cleared from quarantine on June 19 and made available for adoption.
On June 24, the animal started to show symptoms of rabies, was taken off the floor and tested. The results were positive.
Dr. Holly Cucuzzella, health officer for the Burlington County Health Department, says the kitten had to be euthanized to get tested.
“The kitten was starting to show symptoms and was suffering, and so, especially with rabies, there is really only one outcome for an animal or a human once they start to show symptoms, which is death, so we wanted to go ahead and do the humane thing and get it tested.”
If you were bitten, scratched or had contact with the kitten’s saliva, the health department urges you to seek medical attention. Two staff members who had contact with the kitten at the shelter got rabies booster shots.
Rabies cases have been found in several towns. Burlington County officials encourage residents to make sure their pets’ rabies vaccinations are up to date.
