FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 28, 2024

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) confirmed that a raccoon and a fox from two different counties have tested positive for rabies.

• A raccoon found near Greenville Highway and Fruit Mountain Road in Easley, S.C., has tested positive for rabies. No people or pets are known to have been exposed at this time.
• A fox found near Mataoka and Center streets in Mount Pleasant, 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 Pickens County raccoon was submitted to DHEC's laboratory for testing on March 22, 2024, and was confirmed to have rabies on March 23, 2024. The Charleston County fox was submitted to DHEC’s laboratory for testing on March 26, 2024, and was confirmed to have rabies on March 27, 2024.

If you believe you, someone you know, or your pets have come in contact with either the Pickens County raccoon or the Charleston County fox, or another animal that potentially has rabies, please call DHEC's Public Health Upstate Greenville-Spartanburg office at (864) 372-3270 or Charleston office at (843) 953-4713 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).

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,” said Terri McCollister, Rabies Program director. 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.” Contact your local Public Health office for further guidance.

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. In 2024, the Pickens County raccoon is the

second animal to test positive for rabies in that county, and the Charleston County fox is the second animal in that county to test positive for rabies. There have been 18 cases of rabid animals statewide this year. Since 2002, South Carolina has averaged approximately 148 positive cases a year. Of the 78 confirmed rabies cases in South Carolina in 2023, six were in Pickens County, and six were in Charleston County.

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

###