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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend June 22, 2005 Rabid bat dooms cats By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune The euthanization of two cats bitten by a rabid bat in Central Point has Jackson County officials urging residents to get their pets vaccinated against the fatal but preventable disease. Tests confirmed Monday at an Oregon State University veterinary laboratory show that an ill bat discovered last Thursday on the front porch of a Central Point residence was infected with rabies, said Gary Stevens, a program manager with Jackson County Environmental Health. Two cats belonging to the family that discovered the bat were bitten by the rabid animal last week and put to sleep late Monday. State law requires infected animals to be euthanized unless a pet owner wants to pay for treatment that may not be successful, Stevens said. "We never recommend" the second option, he said, adding, "It just breaks our hearts to have to put cats to sleep." Dogs are required by state law to receive rabies shots. But cats, which prey upon small animals like bats, do not have to be vaccinated. As a result, few cat owners make sure their pet is protected against the disease, said Colleen Macuk, program manager with Jackson County Animal Control. Advertisement While 114 dogs were vaccinated against rabies during a May clinic at the county animal shelter, only 17 felines received a rabies shot. "Not a high percentage of cat owners come in," she said. The incidence of rabies in Jackson County is relatively low. Stevens said between 1994 and 2003, just five cases were reported in the county. No cases have been reported since 2002. "The source of rabies for this area is mainly bats," Stevens said. Bats become infected in South and Central America, then migrate north, he said. Since 1960, eight foxes in Jackson County were found to be rabid, Stevens said. Tens of thousands of people are successfully treated each year after being bitten by an animal that may have rabies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A few people die of the disease each year, usually because they do not seek medical attention. A majority of recent rabies cases in humans are caused by bats, according to the CDC. Oregon residents are required by state law to notify their county health department within 24 hours when a person is bitten by an animal susceptible to the rabies virus. Stevens said people who see a bat outdoors during the day or acting strangely should stay away from it and call county Animal Control at 774-6655 or Environmental Health at 774-8206. Shots for pets offered A pair of vaccination and rabies clinics are scheduled for July in Jackson County. A clinic at Pet Country, 2883 N. Pacific Highway in north Medford, is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 9. The next Jackson County Animal Care and Control clinic will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 16 at the animal shelter, 5595 South Pacific Highway in Phoenix. All rabies shots and vaccinations are $7. For more information, call the county shelter at 774-6654cq. Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Investments & Loans Advertisement s