LIVE OAK — A rabies alert has been issued for a portion of the City of Live Oak.
The Suwannee County Health Department issued the alert Wednesday following a confirmed case of rabies in a cat. The alert covers the city from U.S. Highway 90 (Howard Street) to the north, White Avenue to the east, Helvenston Street to the south and Ohio Avenue (U.S. Highway 129) to the west.
The rabies alert is good for 60 days and is centered in the core business district of Live Oak, containing approximately eight blocks.
In the alert, the health department warns all visitors and residents in Live Oak that rabies is present in wild animals and domestic animals are at risk if not vaccinated.
“The public is asked to maintain a heightened awareness that rabies is active,” DOH said in the alert.
DOH warns that people shouldn’t have a “false sense of security” in areas outside the named area.
The health department states in the alert that contact with wildlife, particularly raccoons, bats, foxes, skins, otters, bobcats and coyotes, should be avoided.
Rabies, a disease of the nervous system, is fatal to warm-blooded animals and humans. The only treatment for human exposure to rabies is rabies specific immune globulin and rabies immunization.