Fayette County residents were reminded again this week to be aware of unfamiliar animals around them after the most recent rabies case in the county was reported.
Animal control officials received a call shortly before noon March 22 about an aggressive cat who had bitten someone. The animal was located behind the Kroger on Crosstown Drive in Peachtree City near the golf cart paths. The cat was sent to a state facility where it tested positive for rabies.
The bite victim reported that she heard screaming from other people before she was bitten, and officials have asked anyone else who may have been in contact with this animal or have more information about it to contact the animal shelter at 770-631-7210 extension 0. The cat is reported to be a white/black short-haired intact male.
One other person reached out to officials after reading the animal shelter’s warning notice on Facebook, a representative at the shelter noted when contacted by The Citizen.
This is the first case of a rabid cat reported in Fayette County in 2024. Shelter officials did not have readily available statistics on other cases from this year or last year.
It is reported that the Georgia Department of Public Health tests up to 2,000 animals a year for rabies, with about 200 cases coming back positive. In recent years Georgia has been among the top ten states in the United States for reported rabies cases.
Local residents are encouraged to seek medical help immediately when scratched or bitten by an animal that could be rabid. It is also recommended that people do not make contact with stray animals they see in the community, while keeping all of your own pets up to date on appropriate vaccinations.
Rabies picks and chooses which animals it ‘spreads’ in. According to their own data. People need to start deep diving data and find uncomfortable truths