CLYDE, Texas — Several residents in Clyde have to undergo rabies treatment after they were all bitten by the same cat that later tested positive for the potentially deadly virus.
Clyde City Administrator Christopher McGuire stated in a press release that Animal Control was first notified of attacks on Woodland Drive on Sunday, March 19.
The neighborhood is located off Stephens Street near the city park. Animal Control captured the cat and quarantined it before it died on Tues., March 21.
Officials sent the cat's remains to the Texas Department of State Health Services Zoonotic lab in Austin to have it tested for rabies. Those results came back positive on Fri., March 24.
The City has referred those residents who were bitten by the cat for rabies treatment. According to the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rabies virus infects a human's central nervous system. If left untreated, the rabies virus can cause disease in the brain and ultimately lead to death.
Clyde Animal Control is now trapping feral cats in the Woodland neighborhood to control the spread of the rabies virus.
Anyone who has had contact with any feral cats in that area between March 8-21 should contact Terry Davis at 325- 439-1847.
In the meantime, city officials are asking the public to avoid animals displaying unusual behavior. Typically, wild animals that are unusually friendly or display other unnatural behaviors may be infected with the rabies virus.
