SAN ANTONIO — The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) says a cow that was at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo has tested positive for rabies.

• Cow on site February 11-14
• Rabies spreads through saliva of infected animals

Anyone who visited the cattle barn between February 11-14 may need to be assessed for possible rabies exposure. Health officials say the solid black cow was capable of spreading the virus that causes it during those dates.

The cow, a Brangus heifer, was being shown by a student from the Miller Grove Independent School District in Hopkins County.

DSHS officials say the cow was only outside the barn while being loaded and unloaded for transport.

Public health officials have contacted the people who were caring for the cow and the animals in nearby stalls.

In a memo, DSHS said the following:

Rabies is spread through the saliva of infected animals. Anyone who put their hand in the cow’s mouth or nose or had contact between the animal’s saliva and an open wound or mucous membrane like the eyes, nose or mouth should be evaluated for a rabies exposure. Someone in that situation should contact their health care provider as soon as possible and explain the situation. People who didn’t have that kind of contact with the cow are not at risk of contracting the disease.

Rabies can be prevented if treatment is started before symptoms begin, however, once symptoms start, it’s almost always fatal. It usually takes between three weeks and three months for someone exposed to rabies to get sick.

Bexar County residents who visited the cattle barn on those dates may contact the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District at 210-207-8876. People living outside Bexar County should contact their DSHS regional Zoonosis Control office.

A map of the fairgrounds and cattle barn with the location of the cow’s stall marked in red is available below.