Health officials say another cat in Hillsborough County has tested positive for rabies after attacking a man and two dogs.

Health officials say the cat jumped out from a wooded area along North Dort Street in Plant City and attacked the man as he was walking two dogs. 

“It’s very unusual for a cat to come out of nowhere and attack not just a human, but also two dogs,” Department of Health Spokesperson Kevin Watler told WFLA.

He says the attack sounded the alarm that this was serious.

“This is definitely going to be a rabies case, a very high probability.”

Health and animal officials were able to track down the cat which lived around North Dort Street and Rowena Mays Park in the Plant City area. It was described as a white and brown domestic short-hair tabby cat. The cat tested positive for rabies.

The man was given vaccines for treatment. The Department of Health recommended that the exposed dogs receive a booster for rabies. Officials say the owner will also be asked to quarantine the dogs for 45 days.

The DOH is now trying to track down anyone else who may have been exposed. They will be notifying homes and businesses that are north of I-4, south of Airport Road and Grant Street, east of Park Road and west of Branch Forbes/North Forbes Road.

“If a person ever contracts rabies, the likelihood of that person surviving if it turns into rabies is not going to be good. It’s likely going to be a fatality. We don’t ever want anyone to die from rabies. It’s really no excuse to not contact us to get on a treatment plan so we can get everyone healthy,” Watler said.

Earlier this year, a rabies alert was issued in Plant City after several residents came in contact with a rabid cat.

In March, two people were exposed to a rabid cat in the Banyon Bluff area. A bat and a raccoon also tested positive for rabies in Hillsborough County that month.

If you have been bitten, scratched or exposed to the saliva of a wild animal or any animal acting unusual, you should report it to the local health department.  

For further information on rabies, go to the DOH website.