State health officials are asking residents to avoid direct contact with stray or wild animals after two stray kittens in North Conway tested positive for rabies this week.
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) said a “concerned citizen” picked up one of the kittens and took it to the Conway Area Humane Society. Two veterinary practices cared for the kitten before it exhibited symptoms of rabies on Nov. 11, then tested positive for the disease Nov. 13.
DHHS said in a news release that the department has worked with the Humane Society, the town’s animal control officer and veterinary practices to identify anyone who had direct physical contact with the infected kitten and may require preventative treatment to avoid contracting the illness.
A second kitten tested positive Nov. 16, and an investigation is ongoing to identify people who may have been exposed, DHHS said.
Health officials are asking residents to avoid direct contact with any stray, feral, or wild animals, including cats and kittens, and exercise caution around unvaccinated pets, which can be infected with rabies by wild animals.
“Rabies is a fatal but preventable disease,” said Dr. Benjamin Chan, the state epidemiologist. “Rabies typically circulates in wild animals, and every year, 20-30 animals test positive for rabies in New Hampshire. The best way to prevent exposure is to avoid direct contact with stray, feral, or wild animals. If a person is exposed to a sick animal, they may need the rabies vaccine and protective antibodies to prevent disease.”
Rabies is a virus that impacts the brain and other parts of the central nervous system, transmitted when an infected animal’s saliva makes direct contact with broken skin or mucous membranes, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth.
Transmission usually occurs when a person or pet is scratched or bitten by an infected animal.
If a person or pet does not receive appropriate medical care after a rabies exposure, the virus can infect the brain and cause neurological symptoms, ultimately leading to death.
Human infections are extremely rare in the United States, and preventative treatment is recommended for people who have been exposed.
Officials recommend pets should be vaccinated against the disease, commonly found in wild animals such as bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes.
All dogs, cats, and ferrets should have up-to-date rabies vaccinations. It is also highly recommended that certain livestock species receive rabies vaccinations.
Anyone with questions about rabies or who is concerned they may have been exposed to an animal infected with rabies should seek medical care or call the New Hampshire Bureau of Infectious Disease Control at (603) 271-4496.
For more information on rabies, visit the DHHS website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
