4 Possibly Exposed To Rabies In Miami-Dade

NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FL — Four people are being treated for possible exposure to rabies after a pet cat tested positive for the deadly disease in North Miami Beach, according to state health officials. A rabies alert was issued for a portion of North Miami Beach for 60 days. Meanwhile, a Kendall rabies alert also remains in effect through Nov. 16.

With the new case, officials said that a total of six raccoons and one cat have tested positive for rabies this year in Miami-Dade County.

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"There are four people who were exposed," Dr. Alvaro Mejia-Echeverry, a medical epidemiologist with the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County told Patch. "We are being very proactive because rabies is such a lethal disease that you cannot waste time testing a person for rabies."

He said that the four were either scratched, bitten or were in contact with the animal's saliva. The unvaccinated pet cat had to be euthanized after it showed neurological symptoms consistent with rabies while in quarantine, according to health officials.

Mejia-Echeverry said there is no evidence to suggest that the North Miami Beach rabies case is related to the rabies cases in the Kendall area. That area has been under a rabies alert for months.

"We don't have enough elements to suspect that it came from the Kendall area," the doctor said. "Rather we believe that there may be other wildlife affected in other areas of the county. We know in this specific circumstance (in Noth Miami Beach) that the victim lives in an area that is very wooded, and he reported to us that there is wildlife in the area to include raccoons and foxes."

Mejia-Echeverry said that health officials are urging people in the affected North Miami Beach area to contact the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County if they believe they have been scratched by a cat.

"We're talking about people living in that area, particularly around that house because the lady reported to us that there are many cats roaming normally on a regular basis. Many is a significant amount like 50 cats," the doctor explained.

He said that people have a tendency to not seek medical attention if they've been scratched by a cat.

"We don't know, the cat may have been infected," Mejia-Echeverry explained. "If anybody has been scratched by a cat in the neighborhood recently, they should seek medical attention in that one area specifically."

Health officials also advised residents to avoid contact with wild animals in the area. The rabies alert will remain in effect until Nov. 24 within the following boundaries:

• NE 163rd Street to the north,
• NE 151 Street to the south,
• Biscayne Blvd to the east,
• NE 14th Avenue to the west

"A cat that is exposed to rabies usually has up to 21 days to show the symptoms so the incubation period is up to 21 days. But most don't take up to 14," Mejia-Echeverry said in the interview with Patch.

If a cat has been infected, it is likely to show signs of reduced appetite and being unwell.

"They behave abnormally, but very soon after that they start showing neurological symptoms that consist of not coordinating their gait very well," Mejia-Echeverry said. "They become aggressive also. They become aggressive toward their owners. They bite them. They scratch them. A cat that is infected with rabies becomes a real risk."

Some animals may experience foaming around the mouth. But "that's kind of a final sign when the cat is extremely compromised," the doctor said. "The message here is people need to keep these cats vaccinated. Not only dogs need to be vaccinated, cats too."

He said there is no reason to panic, but it's important that people in the affected areas become educated.

"People need to be worried, especially people who interact with wildlife and stray cats," the doctor asserted. "They need to be worried to take actions to prevent disease, to teach their children to not to interact with unknown animals — of course wildlife, but even if they are pets, but they don't know them — to not feed feral cats, to not feed wildlife, and definitely if they have an encounter with these animals, to seek medical attention, especially when there is a scratch or a bite or saliva got into their eyes or sometimes these animals spit."

The Kendall alert covers the following boundaries:

• SW 152nd Street to the north
• SW 187th Street to the south
• SW 117th Avenue to the east
• SW 137th Avenue to the west

Rabies is described by the World Health Organization as an infectious viral disease that is almost always fatal following the onset of clinical signs.

Raccoons are about the size of a small dog and are distinguished by their black mask and bushy ringed tail. Most raccoons weigh 8-15 pounds, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They are common throughout the state, including urban areas, and can be found anywhere there are trees. Raccoons also tend to stay near a source of water.

"Raccoons are among the most intelligent of Florida's wildlife. They feed on fruits, plant material, eggs, crustaceans, small animals and even garbage," according to FWC. They usually become active in the late afternoon and throughout the night, but may change this pattern according to food availability.

"In up to 99 percent of human cases, the rabies virus is transmitted by domestic dogs," according to WHO. "Rabies affects domestic and wild animals, and is spread to people through bites or scratches, usually via saliva." 

Rabies is present on all continents except Antarctica, but more than 95 percent of human deaths occur in Asia and Africa, according to WHO.

The Florida Department of Health reports that the virus can spread to unvaccinated pets, which then pose a high risk to the pet owner and their family.

"The main wildlife sources of rabies in Florida are raccoons and bats. Infected raccoon and bats can expose people, pets, livestock and other wildlife to rabies, typically through bites," the agency stated. "Outside cats are by far the most common domestic animal found to have rabies in the state of Florida largely because they are often not kept up-to-date on rabies vaccinations. Dogs, cats and ferrets are required by law to be vaccinated against rabies in the state of Florida."

Here are some tips from the Department of Health to avoid exposure:

• Keep rabies vaccinations up to date for all pets.
• Keep your pets under direct supervision, so they do not come in contact with wild animals and contact Miami-Dade Animal Services at 3-1-1 if you have concerns.
• Call 3-1-1 to report any stray dogs in your neighborhood or private property. Owners can hire a nuisance wildlife trapper for removal of wildlife.
• If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately and contact Miami-Dade Animal Services at 3-1-1.
• Do not handle, feed or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or littler.
• Do not leave food sources out for wildfire such as pet food or unsecured garbage.
• Avoid contact with stray and feral animals.
• Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home.
• Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly.
• Prevent bats from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, churches, schools and other similar areas where they might come in contact with people and pets.
• Persons who have been bitten or scratched by wild or domestic animals should seek medical attention and report the injury to the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County at 305-324-2400.

"The only treatment for human exposure to rabies is rabies-specific immune globulin and rabies immunization," health officials cautioned. "Appropriate treatment started soon after the exposure will protect an exposed person from the disease."

For more information on rabies click here, call 305-324-2400 or call Miami-Dade County Animal Services at 3-1-1.

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