A rabies alert has been issued in Florida’s Walt Disney World after one of its feral cats, who tested positive for rabies, scratched two of its employees last week.
The Florida Department of Health in Orange County issued a 60-day rabies warning in Walt Disney World’s two-mile radius of the intersection of Interstate 4 and Epcot Center Drive, which also includes Epcot Center theme park.
Officials announced that the identified cat may have infected other animals located in the area, such as raccoons, bats, foxes, skunks, otters, bobcats, and coyotes, warning both residents and visitors to be more conscious of those around them.
“[This is to warn the public to] maintain a heightened awareness that rabies is active in this area of southwest Orange County,” said Florida Department of Health in a statement.
A Walt Disney World spokesperson told TODAY thru email that the two employees who were scratched received immediate treatment and are now already back to work.
Rabies is a disease that can cause paralysis and may be fatal to warm-blooded animals and humans. If not treated quickly, it can be deadly for those who are exposed.
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