Woman receives rabies shots after Friday cat bite in Liberty

A woman was bit by a rabid cat in Liberty and is undergoing shots

Staff report

LIBERTY

A woman was bit by a rabid cat in Liberty on Friday and is undergoing shots to prevent the rabies from infecting her.

Debbie Mokosh, director of nursing for the Trumbull County Health Department, said it is the first time in many years that a rabid cat has been identified in the county.

The Liberty woman spotted the cat, believed to be wild, and noticed that it appeared to be ill. She tried to shoo it away, but it went into her garage and bit her in a couple areas. Mokosh declined to provide a specific location in Liberty.

The Ohio Department of Health reported on Tuesday that the cat had rabies, most likely from a raccoon, Mokosh said.

The county had a rabid coyote in Kinsman and rabid raccoons and bats in recent years, but not cats, Mokosh said.

Advice for county residents is to avoid contact with animals you don’t know, bring pet food inside at night and don’t leave trash outside where animals can get to it.

Mokosh noted that the Ohio Department of Health provided rabies baits for the Liberty area for many years until 2009. She personally participated in hand-baiting in Liberty that involved placing baits near garbage receptacles or in ditches.

Mokosh said she’s not seeing a large increase in rabies in the county, but Mahoning County has reported three rabies cases this year, which is a lot.