NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – More than 80 students and several staff members at a private school in Rockland County received rabies shots on Wednesday as a precaution after a foster cat died from rabies.
At the Summit School in Nyack, the school community was fostering rescue cats through a therapy program when one of the kittens fell ill and died.
The 4-week-old foster kitten was found to be infected with rabies.
A total of 85 students and several staff members received post-exposure vaccines at a local hospital as a precaution.
The kitten had first experienced some balance problems.
Nixie Gueits, head of the rescue organization Four Legs Good, said the kitten came to them with some abrasions and was put on antibiotics. "The kitten immediately went to the vet, was discharged, and did not appear to have bite wounds, as per the vet's instructions," she said.
The kitten was still three months away from being old enough for the rabies vaccine. Rabies vaccines are usually given to cats at 12 to 16 weeks.
"The animal was too young, it was discharged and they did everything they could to follow their protocols. It's unfortunately a very unfortunate incident."
Moving forward, Gueits said they will give extra reminders to foster families to watch for symptoms and once they appear, to limit contact and call a vet.
