"Unprecedented Public Health Operation in Nebraska to Prevent Rare Rabies Outbreak"

A stray kitten in Nebraska has tested positive for an unusual strain of rabies, normally associated with raccoons in the eastern United States. This has prompted health officials to launch an unprecedented public health operation to vaccinate 1,000 raccoons in the area to prevent further spread. Rabies is considered 100 percent fatal in humans if left untreated, and the presence of the virus in a cat increases the risk of transmission. All individuals who may have been exposed to the kitten have begun preventative treatment for rabies.