FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 23, 2020

The Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) confirmed that a stray cat located near Wilbert Street and Seymour Drive in Greenwood, S.C., tested positive for rabies. One person was exposed and has been referred to their healthcare provider. One pet was also exposed and will be quarantined as required in the South Carolina Rabies Control Act.

The exposure occurred on July 19 when the victim was scratched by a brown, long-haired cat. The cat was submitted to DHEC's laboratory for testing on July 20 and was confirmed to have rabies on July 21.

“To reduce the risk of getting rabies, always give wild and stray animals plenty of space," said David Vaughan, Director of DHEC's Onsite Wastewater, Rabies Prevention, and Enforcement Division. "If you see an animal in need, avoid touching it. Contact someone trained in handling animals, such as your local animal control officer or wildlife rehabilitator. The possibility of exposure to rabies can occur anywhere, anytime. If you believe that you or someone you know has had contact with or been potentially exposed to this or another suspect animal, please reach out to your local Environmental Affairs office. An exposure is defined as a bite, a scratch, or contact with saliva or body fluids from an infected or possibly infected animal."

If your pet is found with wounds of unknown origin, please consider that your pet could 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 p.m., Monday-Friday). To report a bite or exposure on holidays or times outside of normal business hours, please call the DHEC after-hours service number at (888) 847-0902.

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 stray cat is the third animal in Greenwood County to test positive for rabies in 2020. There have been 73 cases of rabid animals statewide this year. Since 2011, South Carolina has averaged approximately 130 positive cases a year. In 2019, four of the 148 confirmed rabies cases in South Carolina were in Greenwood County.

Contact information for local Bureau of Environmental Health Services offices is available at www.scdhec.gov/EAoffices. For more information on rabies visit www.scdhec.gov/rabies or www.cdc.gov/rabies.