FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 26, 2021

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) confirmed that a raccoon found near Sherard Road and Cabin Road in Greenwood, S.C., has tested positive for rabies. No people are known to have been exposed at this time. One dog was exposed and will be quarantined as required in the South Carolina Rabies Control Act.

The raccoon was submitted to DHEC's laboratory for testing on March 24 and was confirmed to have rabies on March 25.

Please report all animal bites, scratches, and exposures to potentially rabid animals to DHEC.

"It is very important for you to seek medical attention if you have been exposed to a wild, stray, or domestic animal. The rabies virus is found in the saliva of infected animals and can be transmitted through a bite, scratch, broken skin, and the mucous membranes of your eyes, nose, or mouth. Immediately wash the affected area with plenty of soap and water," said Terri McCollister, Rabies Program Team Leader. "Contact your local Environmental Health office for further guidance.” 

If your pet is found with wounds of unknown origin, please consider that your pet may have been exposed to rabies and contact DHEC's Environmental Affairs Greenwood office at (864) 227-5915 during normal business hours (8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday) or after hours and on holidays at (888) 847-0902 (Select Option 2).

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 raccoon is the first animal in Greenwood County to test positive for rabies in 2021. There have been 17 cases of rabid animals statewide this year. Since 2002, South Carolina has averaged approximately 148 positive cases a year. In 2020, three of the 168 confirmed rabies cases in South Carolina were in Greenwood County.

Contact information for local Environmental Affairs Offices is available at www.scdhec.gov/EAoffices. For more information on rabies, visit www.scdhec.gov/rabies or www.cdc.gov/rabies.

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