A second cat found with rabies means another 60-day alert in Miami-Dade

A second cat has tested positive for rabies in North Miami Beach, putting part of North Miami-Dade on 60-day alert until Dec. 14, the Florida Department of Health announced Tuesday morning.

The area covered by the rabies alert is bounded by Northeast 186th Street on the north, Royal Glades Canal on the south, West Dixie Highway on the east, and Northeast 19th Avenue on the west.

This is a different alert than the one that will run out on Nov. 24 after the first rabid cat was found in North Miami Beach. The boundaries for that alert are Northeast 163rd Street to the north, Northeast 151st Street to the south, Biscayne Boulevard to the east and Northeast 14th Avenue to the west.

With the new alert, the Department of Health says one person is receiving rabies post-exposure treatment after trying to deal with an unvaccinated stray cat A second person who got scratched is being checked for possible post-exposure treatment. The cat was put down.

And six raccoons were found on Zoo Miami land with rabies over the summer.

The Department of Health’s list of ways to keep your children, both human and four-legged, safe from rabies include:

▪ Keep rabies vaccinations up to date for all pets.

▪ Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly.

▪ Keep your pets under direct supervision so they do not come in contact with wild animals. If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, find a vet immediately and call 311 Miami-Dade Animal Services.

▪ Call 311 to report any stray dogs in your neighborhood. Private property owners can hire a nuisance wildlife trapper for removal of wildlife. Consult the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission’s list of trappers.

▪ Don’t leave pet food, open garbage cans or litter out in the open.

▪ Don’t adopt wild animals or bring them into the home.

▪ Keep bats outside.

If you’ve been bitten or scratched by an animal, get medical attention and report it to the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County, 305-324-2400.