FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 12, 2024

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) confirmed that a skunk found near Ringer and Mount Pleasant roads in Pomaria, S.C., has tested positive for rabies. No people are known to have been exposed at this time. Two dogs were exposed and will be quarantined as required in the South Carolina Rabies Control Act.

The skunk was submitted to DHEC's laboratory for testing on March 8, 2024, and was confirmed to have rabies on March 11, 2024. If you believe you, someone you know, or your pets have come in contact with this skunk. or another animal that potentially has rabies, please call DHEC's Public Health Columbia office at (803) 896-0620 during normal business hours (8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday) or after hours and on holidays at (888) 847-0902 (Select Option 2).

“Rabies is usually transmitted through a bite or scratch which allows saliva from an infected animal to be introduced into the body of a person or another animal. However, infected saliva or neural tissue contact with open wounds or areas such as the eyes, nose, or mouth could also potentially transmit rabies,” said Terri McCollister, Rabies Program director. “To reduce the risk of getting rabies, always give wild and stray animals their space.”

If you see an animal in need, avoid touching it and contact someone trained in handling animals, such as your local animal control officer, wildlife control operator, or a wildlife rehabilitator.

Please report all animal bites, scratches, and exposures to potentially rabid animals to DHEC. It is important to keep pets up to date on their rabies vaccination, as this is one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect against the disease. This skunk is the first animal in Newberry County to test positive for rabies in 2024. There have been 15 cases of rabid animals statewide this year. Since 2002, South Carolina has averaged approximately 148 positive cases a year. In 2023, one of the 78 confirmed rabies cases in South Carolina was in Newberry County.

Contact information for local Public Health offices is available at scdhec.gov/RabiesContacts. For more information on rabies, visit scdhec.gov/rabies or cdc.gov/rabies.

###