Health department officials are urging Escambia County residents to avoid contact with wild and stray animals after a rabid cat attacked two people. The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County said  tissue samples from the stray cat tested positive for rabies at the state laboratory. Rabies is a viral disease that infects the central nervous system. Without proper treatment, rabies can cause brain infection and death. It is transmitted by a rabid animal through a bite, a scratch or by contact with mucous membranes such as the eyes, nose or mouth.