HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. -- A rabies alert continues in two parts of Hillsborough County.

  • Rabies alert still in effect for parts of Hillsborough County
  • 9 rabid animals have exposed rabies to 20 people
  • The animals are cats, bats and raccoons

Areas of Gibsonton and Tampa have seen recent cases of humans being infected.

In the Gibsonton case, a cat attacked a man who was on a walk on Nundy Avenue.

In Tampa, three people were exposed to a rabid cat on the 4500 block of West Knollwood Street.

Kevin Watler with the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County says that nine rabid animals have exposed rabies to 20 people and four dogs this year.

"That's a very high number for us," Watler said.

For context, only three animals infected 10 people all of last year in Hillsborough County.

The animals this year are cats, bats and raccoons.

One reason numbers are up could be that people are taking in more strays.

"If an animal is in the wild it's best to leave it in the wild," Walter said. "You could expose yourself to animals that are rabid."

Everyone affected in recent days is now undergoing intense rabies treatment.

Residents in the area of West Knollwood Street in Tampa and Nundy Avenue in Gibsonton are asked to keep an eye out for any rabid animals for the next 60 days. ​