The Fairfax County Health Department has confirmed rabies in a cat located in Belle Haven/Alexandria at approximately 13th and H Street. If you, someone you know, or a pet was touched, bitten, or scratched by the cat between Nov. 20 and Nov. 28, 2025, you are urged to call the Fairfax County Health Department Rabies Program at 703-246-2433, TTY 711.

The cat attacked multiple people and pets on the evening of Nov. 28 near the intersection of 13th and H Streets in the Belle Haven neighborhood of Alexandria. During the time it was sick, the cat may have had contact with other people or pets. The cat is described as a domestic shorthair male with orange/white coloring and a tipped ear. The cat has been captured, and the purpose of this notice is for notification and to identify any additional potential exposures.

Rabies is a serious disease caused by a virus that can infect wildlife (e.g. foxes, raccoons, skunks and bats), as well as domestic animals, such as dogs and cats. The rabies virus is found in the saliva, brain and spinal tissue of an infected animal. People may get infected with rabies when they are bitten or scratched by an animal that is sick with the disease. The virus can also be passed along when an infected animal’s saliva or central nervous tissue enters an open wound, mouth, nose or eyes of another mammal. To date, 32 animals have been diagnosed with rabies in Fairfax County in 2025.

Animals with rabies may act normally during the early stages of the disease, making it difficult to know if the animal is infected. As the disease progresses, animals often show changes in behavior. For example, wild animals may act very docile, and domestic animals may become aggressive. Rabid animals may stagger, drool, or become paralyzed.

Here are some important steps to protect yourself and your pets from rabies:

• Stay away from wild animals. Remember, if the animal is not your own, leave it alone! Do not adopt or feed wild or stray animals. 
• Be sure pets are vaccinated against rabies every year.
• Do not allow your pets to roam unattended.
• Seal openings in your house so that wildlife cannot enter.
• Report animal bites, animals that are acting strangely (including domestic animals), or altercations between wild and domestic animals to Fairfax County Animal Control at 703-691-2131, TTY 711.

If bitten or scratched by an animal that might have rabies, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical attention right away. When vaccinations are provided in time and appropriately, rabies treatment is 100% effective in preventing the disease. If not treated, rabies is 100% fatal.

More information about rabies can be found on the rabies webpage.