Lab results have confirmed that a cat that bit a woman in Fort Oglethorpe last week had the rabies virus.
Jon Klepper, environmental health manager with the Northwest Georgia Public Health District, said lab results confirmed Friday that the half-grown kitten had the virus and animal control officers are trying to find its litter mates to see if the other cats are also rabid.
The woman who was bitten lived on Barnhardt Circle and Klepper urged nearby residents to be sure their animals are up to date on vaccines and to report any animals they notice behaving strangely.
The woman, who was bitten Oct. 5, has gotten a few shots in the series of injections used to treat the virus and is expected to be fine after completing treatment, he said.
"A lot of people would not have even thought to bring the cat in," Klepper said. "Had she not done that she might have been dead in a month or two."
Last year authorities found a rabid bat and raccoon in Catoosa County, but a cat with rabies has not been found in the county since at least 2006.