Rabid free-ranging cats have been a public health concern in Pennsylvania since raccoon variant rabies first was recognized in the state in the early 1980s. Over the last decade, between 1.5 and 2.5% of cats submitted to Pennsylvania's state laboratories for rabies testing have been positive. In this report, we describe the extent of rabies in free-ranging cats in Pennsylvania. We also present two examples of human exposure to rabid free-ranging cats that occurred in Pennsylvania during 2010-2011 and the public health actions taken to address rabies exposure in the humans and animals. We then describe the concerns surrounding the unvaccinated and free-ranging cat population in Pennsylvania and possible options in managing this public and animal health problem.
Keywords: Pennsylvania; Rabies; encephalomyelitis; free-ranging cats; post-exposure prophylaxis; raccoon rabies; raccoon variant; surveillance; terrestrial rabies; vaccination; veterinary public health; zoonoses.
Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.