A Fairview Township woman is being treated for rabies after she was bitten by a rabid black kitten that ran into her Springers Lane home.
The rabid feline rushed into the woman’s home on Jan. 10, when the door was open because someone else was entering. the kitten bit her when she grabbed the cat to remove it, said Holli Senior, press secretary for the state’s Department of Health, which is urging anyone who had contact with the cat to contact its offices.
“Ironically, after she threw it out the door, it must have run out into the street and got hit by a car,” Senior said.
The motorist who ran over the kitten reported the animal to the Department of Health, which tested and found rabies.
“I think perhaps the fact that it ran into somebody’s house might have been enough to … raise red flags,” she said. “I don’t know how cute and cuddly it was looking. I’ve never heard of an animal running into your house.”
The woman is undergoing prophylaxis treatment because of her exposure.
“You test for rabies by taking a sample from the brain tissue, so we never really know if someone has rabies,” Senior said. “If you’re at risk, you’re automatically treated with prophylaxis.”
She said the state encounters more than 400 rabid animal cases per year, but is drawing attention to the “pure black” kitten in the hopes of identifying other people who might have been exposed.
Because it was small and presumably “cute and cuddly,” people could have touched the animal before it was displaying symptoms such as foaming at the mouth, she said.
“I would imagine if it was walking around not looking cute and cuddly, someone might have called before this happened,” she said.
People whose pets came in contact with the kitten should check for scratches and bite marks on the animal, and watch for unusual behavior such as acting lethargic or not eating, and contact a veterinarian.
Touching or handling a potentially rabid animal is not considered an exposure for a person, unless the person has been bitten, scratched or had saliva, nervous system fluid or tissue enter an open wound, according to the health department.
Exposure can occur if they had contact with the rabid animal’s mucous membranes by touching the animal’s eye, mouth or nose. People who believe they were exposed are advised to call York County State Health Center, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at 771-4505. Residents can also call 1-877-PA HEALTH (1-877-724-3258) at any time.
The Springers Lane woman is the only person being treated at this time, Senior said.
-Reach Christina Kauffman at 505-5436, , or follow her on Twitter at @dispatchbizwiz.