Rabies Advisory

The Hillsborough Health Department was recently informed that a small black and white cat found at 597 River Rd. on Friday, July 16, tested positive for rabies. Rabies is a virus that can affect any mammal, and is contagious to humans through a bite (most often), scratch, or open cut/mucous membrane exposure to the virus. The virus lives in the central nervous system fluid and saliva of the affected animal. This infective fluid must enter the host’s body through an opening put there by a bite, or  a scratch, an open cut, or mucous membrane (i.e. rubbing eyes after touching saliva).