CORRECTED: New questions emerge about rabies at lake

County officials have been tight lipped about a potentially serious health hazard posed by discovery July 9 near the county lake of a stray cat suspected of being infected by the deadly rabies virus.

Because of miscommunication, some earlier versions of this story incorrectly reported that the discovery had been made July 7. The Record apologizes for that error.

Among questions county officials have refused to answer are where at the lake the animal was found, what it looked like, and why it was not preserved and tested as required by state regulations.

Additional questions surfaced after the lake was placed under a blue-green algae warning. Exposure to neurotoxins in some strains of algae can mimic some symptoms of rabies.

Even more questions emerged Sunday when veterinarian Jessica Gernhard suggested in an online posting that, contrary to what county officials had said, no one was sure whether the cat had died, and no one had disposed of its remains.

“The cat went into an area where it may have died,” she wrote, “but it was a tight area, and it was not safe to remove the cat without getting a person exposed.

“We do see rabies in the area. So I recommended to not expose a person to get the cat tested. Sorry that it meant we couldn’t test the cat.”

Then, in a later email to the Record, she seemed to contradict that statement, saying: “The cat was euthanized. It was ultimately disposed of. I do know there was no human exposure. Maybe there were personal things that people involved with the situation didn’t want to release. I know who they were personally, and I’m not gonna tell you now because of the craziness that you’re trying to put out there.”

To date, county health department officials have released absolutely no information to news media. They specifically declined requests to be interviewed Friday. Lake superintendent Isaac Hett also stated Monday that he had been unable to get more information, such as the exact location of the sighting, out of the health department.

“It’s not something I was involved in, and I have not received any further information, either,” he said. “It’s been taken care of, and that’s all I know.”

He said residents had come to his office to ask what the cat looked like because they had seen strays in their yard, but he had to tell them he didn’t know.

The health department did post a cursory note on social media at 3:34 p.m. Thursday. But that note raised more questions than it answered. It also was posted to an account with just 227 followers, only a tiny fraction of whom actually would have seen it

County Administrator Tina Spencer emailed a copy of the posting to the Record after hours Thursday.

When the Record attempted to follow up first thing Friday, health department officials referred all questions to Spencer, but Spencer initially told the Record she knew no specifics.

Later, she said the cat had been found exhibiting aggression, confusion, and stilted movement July 9 in a residential area. She declined to identify the area.

“The animal was disposed of but was unable to be tested,” she wrote in an email.

Asked how the animal had been disposed of and why it could not be tested, Spencer replied: “Those details are not being released.”

State regulations require that any animal exhibiting “signs suggestive of rabies ... shall be euthanized, and the head or entire brain (including brainstem) shall be submitted for rabies testing.”

The original posting from the health department stated:

“A suspected rabies case in a feral (stray) cat has been identified near the Marion County Lake. Rabies is a deadly virus that affects the brain and nervous system of mammals, including humans.”

The post goes on to say that people should watch for signs of rabies in animals.

Signs include unprovoked aggression, excessive salivation, staggering and paralysis, difficulty swallowing, and unusual behavior.

Exposure to neurotoxins present in anabaena cyanobacteria (a strain of blue-green algae) include stumbling or falling, foaming at the mouth, tremors and seizures, convulsions, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and excessive drooling, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Algae effects are largely non-communicable, but animals, including people, can be exposed to rabies by being bitten or scratched by a rabid animal or by its saliva or brain tissue contacting broken skin, eyes, nose, or mouth.

People should avoid contact with wild or feral animals, keep pets up to date on rabies vaccinations, and report suspicious animal behavior or aggressive animals to the sheriff’s office at (620) 382-2144, the health department's original notice stated.

People who think they have been exposed to rabies should immediately seek medical care and contact the health department at (620) 382-2550, it continued.

The Kansas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which performs testing for rabies, has not responded to a request for comment.

Physician Don Hodson, who serves as county medical adviser, told the Record Friday night that he had not been informed of the situation.

While not mentioning the discovery, Gernhard’s Animal Health Center veterinary clinic of Marion posted on its social media account at 7:30 p.m. Thursday that it would be “doing a pop-up rabies vaccine booster clinic.”

The clinic was scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, and the notice offered a $10 discount to anyone presenting a screen shot of the social media ad.

Under the Kansas Open Records Act, the Record is requesting copies of all communication to or from county employees regarding the suspected rabies case.