A cat with rabies is in North Miami Beach

A North Miami Beach domestic cat was euthanized Tuesday after being tested positive for rabies, the Florida Department of Health said in Miami-Dade.

This makes the seventh animal infected with rabies – a disease that affects the nervous system and can be fatal for warm-blooded animals and humans – at Miami-Dade this year. The other six animals were raccoons and were found on the grounds of the Miami Zoo in the Kendall area.

"It was an unvaccinated domestic cat that had to be euthanized after showing neurological symptoms consistent with quarantined rabies," said the health department in a press release.

Four people were exposed to the cat and received treatment, said the department.

The discovery triggered a rabies alert for 60 days, until November 24, in the North Miami Beach area. The boundaries are: Northeast 163rd Street North, Northeast 151 Street South, Biscayne Boulevard East and Northeast 14th Avenue West.

Last week, the health department extended the alert in the Kendall area until November 16, after a sixth raccoon was found to have rabies. There had been five previous cases in 2018.

The Kendall Alert applies to the area bounded by 152nd Street southwest to the north, 187th Street to the south, 117th Avenue to the east and 137th Avenue to the west .

Here are some tips to protect your animals from rabies:

▪ Keep rabies vaccines up to date for all animals.

▪ Do not handle, feed, or inadvertently attract wildlife with garbage cans or open rubbish.

▪ Stay away from stray and wild animals.

▪ Anyone bitten or scratched by wild or domestic animals should consult a physician and report the injury to the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County at 305-324-2400.

▪ If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, take it to the veterinarian immediately and call Miami-Dade Animal Services at 3-1-1.