From Knabe, press release:

“What this comes down to is protecting the health and well being of the children at the day care center and our employees at the crime and public health labs, as well as the public who routinely visit the campus,” said Supervisor Knabe. “The goal is to control fleas and other problems that could pose a public health hazard, especially for children or those with weakened immune systems. This is kids over cats, plain and simple.”

http://www.knabe.com/press/releases/2008/102308.html

I would imagine that most people would heed the recommendations from the CDC, the NASPHV, and other entitites whose expertise is public health.

To answer your question about health risks:

http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/animals/cats.htm

http://tnrrealitycheck.com/references.asp

http://tnrrealitycheck.com/media/NASPHV.pdf

And from the Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control 2008:

2. STRAY ANIMALS: Stray dogs, cats, and ferrets should be removed from the community. Local health departments and
animal control officials can enforce the removal of strays more effectively if owned animals have identification and are
confined or kept on leash. Strays should be impounded for at least 3 business days to determine if human exposure has occurred
and to give owners sufficient time to reclaim animals.

http://www.nasphv.org/Documents/RabiesCompendium.pdf

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When are people going to stop going after these poor cats! My God, what health risk? I would guarantee there were no health problems people were suffering of from the cats. These cats kill rats which ARE a true threat to people. This is another absurd thing to try and put on these defenseless cats. What's next, blame global warming on them? Trap and kill is so outdated, so wasteful of taxpayer dollars and lives and so counterproductive! When colony managers are kicked out more cats move in, many will go unnoticed by people who aren't there every night like a colony manager would be who gets to know and keep track of all the cats. Before they know it a litter appears, and another one and so on and so on... They will be able to catch some, others will evade traps and will continue to breed. The reason they won't accept tnr is because it involves compassion towards animals and sadly so many people just don't have any. But it shouldn't be up to Animal Control. It should be up to the tax payers who once they are educated about how tnr works, they would no doubt support it 100%. With anything else, people who do community work, which is what this is, would be called heros. Giving so much of their time and money toward helping solve a problem in their city. But no, when it comes to feral cats, ignorance and cruelty wins out too many times, and these devoted, hard working citizens are treated like garbage and their cats are rounded up and killed.
Euthanasia is never humane. The cat will be terrified until its last breath when it is cornered in its trap or cage and stuck with a needle. This is often done right in front of other ferals in adjoining cages at the shelter. They will hear the cries and struggle of the cat being killed and animals know instinctively their time will come also. It is barbaric, backwards and pointless. I also believe this Animal Control is breaking a California law that makes it mandatory (the Hayden Bill) for shelters to release any feral cat to a rescue group that requests it. If they are in violation of this law then they should be warned if they don't release the cats they'll be sued. Feral people, please send your emails in support of the cats. I live in Seattle and the same thing happens to our cats. You'd think with all the liberal thinking people around here the cats would be safe but no they are not. Things go on like this because there is little outcry from the public. We will gather strength in numbers. The more noise we make the more progress we will make in the future at preventing things like this from happening. It just takes ten minutes to voice your support. Tomorrow it could be your cats. Quickly write one email and send this story to one other person. Our government is actually discouraging compassion towards animals. We do not live in Communist China. A lack of compassion is the reason 5 million dogs and cats are killed in shelters every year. Compassion and reasonable thinking should prevail ! It is the only way to solve these problems.

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Please see my comment at:
http://network.bestfriends.org/florida/news/30341.html

Joy Moffat
Network Member Services Manager

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From the website Birdx.com
"Besides being direct carriers of disease, nuisance birds are frequently associated with over 50 kinds of ectoparasites, which can work their way throughout structures to infest and bite humans. About two-thirds of these pests may be detrimental to the general health and well-being of humans and domestic animals".

http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww23eiii.htm
Website talks about life threatening diseases people catch from birds.

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While the situation is repulsive to most of us on this site, what is needed is a solution--and a crash course on humane treatment for living beings. What does it teach those kids at the daycare center if they're shown that killing is the solution to problems? If this problem can be resolved before the cats starve, the caregivers need support and donations. If you can't donate money, please donate a reasonable plea with factual references to the city and Mr. Knabe, who is an LA County Supervisor, to demonstrate kindness to both animals and people in these stressful times.

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I have contacted Mr. Knabe and his press secretary.

I also forwarded this story to family and friends.

We can stop this tragedy, BF members! Please, make those phone calls, send those faxes, and send those emails!

Thank You!!

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Click here to contact Governor Schwarzenegger with your respectful message on behalf of these cats.

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