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Community Corner

Pleasantville Cat Tests Positive for Rabies

It's the fourth confirmed case in Atlantic County this year.

A cat who had been bitten by a raccoon tested positive for rabies after a Pleasantville resident surrendered it earlier this week, the Atlantic County Division of Public Health announced on Thursday, Dec. 6.

The owner of a residence on Mallard Court said the cat had been bitten a month ago, and had been displaying "neurological symptoms," according to the Division of Public Health. The cat was sent to a state lab and tested positive for the disease on Dec. 4, health officials said.

The unnamed Pleasantville resident has also begun post post-exposure rabies treatment, as he had been bitten by the cat after it was bitten by the raccoon, according to health officials.

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This is the fourth confirmed case of rabies in Atlantic County this year. The other three cases involved raccoons in Estell Manor and Egg Harbor Township, and a bat in Northfield. According to health officials, there were 12 cases of rabies reported in Atlantic County last year, including nine raccoons, two bats and a groundhog.

The Atlantic County Animal Shelter offers a free rabies vaccination clinic to residents each month at 240 Old Turnpike Road, Pleasantville. The next clinic will be held on Sunday, December 9 from 10 a.m.-noon. Dogs must be brought on leashes and cats in carriers. For more information, call (609) 485-2345 or visit www.aclink.org/animalshelter.

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If you have been bitten or exposed to an animal through a scratch or had any contact with the animal’s saliva, you should seek immediate medical attention and report the bite to the Atlantic County Division of Public Health by calling 609-645-5971.

For more information about rabies control and precautions to protect your family and your pets, please visit the county Web site at www.aclink.org/publichealth or call 609-645-5971.

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