Frederick County health officials are seeking anyone who may have had contact around September 17 with a kitten that later tested positive for rabies. Anyone concerned about possible human exposure should contact a health care provider and the county’s Community Health Services office at 301-600-3342, according to the Daily Voice.
Animal Control collected the 6- to 7-week-old kitten on October 1 near Loys Station Park in Rocky Ridge. It was showing aggressive behavior, and its positive test was reported the next day. The kitten was black and white, with a distinctive white mark on its head, the Daily Voice reported. Owners whose animals may have encountered it should contact a veterinarian and the county’s Environmental Health office at 301-600-1717.
How the case fits the county’s rabies record
Maryland Department of Health surveillance data list 38 laboratory-confirmed animal rabies cases in Frederick County in 2025. The county recorded 34 in 2024, according to the Frederick News-Post. That two-year comparison alone does not establish a continuing trend. In 2024, raccoons accounted for 21 cases; cats and skunks accounted for four each, the newspaper reported. The state’s 2025 surveillance table provides the countywide total.
Rabies spreads through the saliva of an infected animal, but Frederick County Health Department guidance says it cannot be acquired simply by petting one. That general information does not determine whether a particular encounter involved exposure; people with concerns should seek individualized advice from a health care provider or the county’s rabies program.
A separate kitten case in Baltimore County
A different kitten tested positive for rabies in Jacksonville, Baltimore County: FOX45 News reported that an approximately 16-week-old kitten found there tested positive on September 1, with officials identifying one human exposure. That was a separate incident in another county; the available information does not connect it to the Rocky Ridge kitten.
Pet vaccination clinic scheduled for October 4
The Frederick County Health Department lists a rabies vaccination clinic on October 4 at Thurmont Community Park, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Dogs, cats and ferrets at least 3 months old are eligible; the fee is $10 per animal, payable by cash or check, according to the department’s clinic information.
