Public Health Response to a Rabid Kitten

People can be their own worst enemies. In a fascinating report from the MMWR is a case of multiple exposures ro rabies from a stray kitten picked up and petted at a mutistate softball turnament. 27 persons were identified as having exposures that warranted PEP: one from South Carolina, 15 from Georgia, and 11 from North Carolina. In New Hampshire, in 1994, approximately 600 persons received PEP after potential exposure to a single rabid cat, at a cost of approximately $1 million for biologics alone. Measures to reduce rabies exposures among humans by promotion of responsible pet ownership and routine vaccination of cats remain public health priorities. Children should be taught to be cautious in their interactions with animals, especially those that are unfamiliar, to avoid potential exposures to rabies and other infectious diseases.