A 6-month-old kitten in northeast Colorado Springs tested positive for rabies on Friday and health officials have identified 20 people who possibly were exposed to the pet.
“This kitten was a stray that was taken in by a family living near Woodmen and Union boulevards,” El Paso County Public Health said in a news release. “Further testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will help determine the type of rabies the kitten had and how it may have been infected.”
The 20 people exposed to the kitten are being treated with preventative medication through a serious of post-exposure vaccinations, the release said.
The last rabid domestic cat to test positive for rabies in the county was in 1966.
County health officials are reminding the public to protect themselves by never touching or feeding wild or stray animals and by keeping pets up to date on rabies vaccination.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or
