Idaho’s Department of Health and Welfare is reporting a cat from the southwest corner of the state has tested positive for rabies. The agency said yesterday in a release the cat had been behaving aggressively and bit its owner. This is the first rabid cat detected in Idaho since 1992 and the first rabid animal from Owyhee County in 2019. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that the cat was infected with a strain of rabies virus associated with bats. This is the first cat in 27 years that has tested positive for rabies in Idaho. Dr. Leslie Tengelsen, state public health veterinarian for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare says while most bats do not have rabies, it is likely that the cat was exposed to a rabid bat, thus contracting the infection. So far this year, 10 rabid bats have been reported from across Idaho. In Wyoming, nine bats have tested positive for rabies including one in Grand Teton National Park. Owners of dogs, cats, ferrets, and horses are encouraged to have their animals vaccinated against rabies.
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