(Danville) — The local health department has issued a rabies alert after a weekend incident involving stray cats and a raccoon.
The Pittsylvania-Danville Health District reports a raccoon tested positive after being recovered in the 500 block of Iris Lane, just outside Danville. Witnesses say the raccoon has been seen with a colony of stray cats in the area.
The Health Department has ordered the county to trap the cats and hold them for 10 days before euthanizing them as a precaution to prevent the spread of rabies.
The Health Department reports some of the cats were part of a trap-neuter-return program. Residents and visitors who may have had contact with the raccoon are urged to call the Pittsylvania-Danville Health District at 434-433-3545.
Rabies is a fatal disease affecting the nervous system that can be prevented in pets and some livestock through vaccination. “The virus is primarily found in the saliva and brain tissue of infected animals and is spread through bites or exposure to infected tissue,” the Virginia Department of Health stated in a press release.
Virginia law requires all dogs and cats over four months old to be vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian.
If you are bitten by a wild or stray animal, the Health Department recommends you wash the wound with warm soapy water and contact a doctor or your local animal control immediately.