Officials in the New York City area are seeking people who may have come into contact with three abandoned kittens after one of the animals was found to have rabies.
According to the New York City Health Department, about a dozen people who came into contact with the kittens are already being treated to prevent rabies after one of the animals was discovered to be rabid.
The kittens, believed to be less than a month old, were found in a box at a vacant lot in Staten Island, June 11. They were taken in by families in Staten Island and in New Jersey.
While only one kitten has tested positive for rabies, its believed that all three may have been infected.
One animal has tested positive; a second kitten is awaiting testing, and the third died and was cremated before health officials could test it.
Rabies is most often transmitted through the bite or scratch of an infected animal. Rabies is a viral infection that, when untreated, can be fatal.
Posted: June 24, 2006, 5:00 a.m. EST