Franklin County Woman Mauled by Rabid Cat

A Franklin County woman must undergo a series of shots after being severely bitten by a rabid cat.

It happened last Wednesday at a home in the Nails Creek Community near Carnesville.

Franklin County Environmental Health Director Louis Korff said the woman was trying to help a stray cat that wandered into her yard.

“A lady had a cat walk across her property and she wanted to protect it from her dogs so she walked up to it and it appeared friendly,” Korff said. “So, she reached out to pick the cat up and it attacked her.  The cat turned out to be rabid.”

When he arrived, Korff said he saw that the cat showed obvious signs of rabies, including foaming at the mouth, which is caused by a constriction of the throat and is a sign the animal is near death.

“It was also panting and she had put it in a cage with a plastic water bottle that the cat was attacking when I arrived,” he said. “It literally tore the plastic water bottle to shreds.”

Korff took the cat to the Northeast Georgia Animal Shelter and had it euthanized.   The name of the woman who was bitten has not been released.

Rabies is always fatal in humans unless a series of post-exposure vaccines can be given as quickly as possible.

Because the woman is indigent, according to Korff,  she was advised to call emergency rooms in the area to find one that had the post-exposure vaccine.  Not all hospitals carry the vaccine, he said. 

“She was bitten in the upper arm area and she was mauled,” Korff said. “By trying to befriend a stray cat, she has put herself in grave danger.”

Korff said the post-exposure series of shots attempts to stop the virus before it reaches the central nervous system and the brain.

According to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, the rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. The early symptoms of rabies in people are similar to that of many other illnesses, including fever, headache, and general weakness or discomfort.

As the disease progresses, more specific symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, hypersalivation (increase in saliva), difficulty swallowing, and hydrophobia (fear of water). Death usually occurs within days of the onset of these symptoms.

“This victim was told not to waste any time in finding the post-exposure vaccine,” he said.

Korff said this is the fourth cat to be positive for rabies during his ten-year career in Franklin County.

“In Franklin County, the most common way people here have contracted the rabies virus has been through bites from rabid cats,” Korff said.

Korff warns people again not to go near a wild animal, even if it looks healthy and to stay away from stray cats or dogs – especially if they are acting or look sick.

“Just walk the other way and call 911 or your local law enforcement agency,” he said. “And make sure your pets are vaccinated for rabies. It’s a simple and cost-effective way to prevent the spread of the disease.”

Over the summer, the Royston Animal Hospital sponsored a low-cost rabies clinic at the request of the Royston Police Department because of a number of reported incidents of rabid raccoons and skunks in the area.

The animal hospital is planning another clinic in the fall. The Northeast Georgia Animal Shelter in Lavonia is also planning a fall rabies clinic. In both cases, the cost for a one-year rabies vaccine will be $5 per pet.  The normal charge for a rabies vaccine is $10.

“That’s a small price to pay for peace of mind,” Korff said.