Following original test results from a deceased cat as reported on December 17, 2015, Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office animal control officials were notified that a secondary test by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) indicated the cat in question was not rabid.
As part of normal protocol, the CDC will receive a specimen testing positive for rabies with the goal to determine the type of wildlife that originally transmitted rabies to the domestic animal under reviewed. This is an attempt to identify the species of animal to watch for in the affected community area. When the CDC completed this test, they determined rabies was not present in the cat.
All lab testing has a margin for error and the results of the initial test were reported to the community promptly in light of public safety and awareness.
The victim in this bite case has been notified, is doing well, and plans to complete rabies treatment as directed by medical personnel.
The Sheriff’s Office issued a statement apologizing “for any undue concern caused by initial reports. Please remember that public safety remains a top priority when possible rabid animals are involved and it remains critically important to notify to local authorities anytime an animal bite occurs.”
On December 3, 2015, a domestic cat was hit by a car in the 3200 block of Date Creek Drive in the Castle Canyon subdivision of Prescott Valley. The cat owner’s roommate was bitten when he tried to assist the cat off the roadway. The cat died and was left on the owner’s porch wrapped in a towel. The injured roommate was treated at a local hospital and released. A YCSO animal control officer arrived the next day to remove the cat and a few days later, a specimen was sent to a lab for rabies testing.
On December 11, 2015, the YCSO Animal Control Office was notified that the cat tested positive for rabies. Animal Control Officers tracked down the previously injured man and alerted him to the test results. He immediately went to the hospital for post rabies exposure treatment. Officers returned to the cat owner’s home to share the test results and survey any family, friends, or neighbors that may have been exposed.