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Rabid Raccoons Confirmed in Two Areas of Charleston County; No Known Human Exposures
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 11, 2020
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) confirmed that a raccoon found near Ashley Hall Plantation Road in West Ashley, SC has tested positive for rabies. There are no known human exposures reported at this time.
The raccoon was submitted to DHEC's laboratory for testing on June 8 and was confirmed to have rabies on June 9.
Also, DHEC confirmed that a raccoon found near Old Point Road and River Road in Hanahan, SC has tested positive for rabies. There are no known human exposures reported at this time.
The raccoon was submitted to DHEC's laboratory for testing on June 8 and was confirmed to have rabies on June 9.
Please contact DHEC if you know of any possible human or animal exposure.
"If you think you have been exposed to the rabies virus through a bite, scratch, or the saliva of a possibly infected animal, immediately wash the affected area with plenty of soap and water," said David Vaughan, Director of DHEC's Onsite Wastewater, Rabies Prevention, and Enforcement Division. "Then be sure to get medical attention and report the incident to DHEC."
If you believe that you, someone you know, or your pets have come into contact with this raccoon or another animal that potentially has rabies, please call DHEC's Environmental Affairs Charleston office at (843) 953-0150 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. These raccoons are the tenth and eleventh animals in Charleston County to test positive for rabies in 2020. There have been 56 cases of rabid animals statewide this year. Since 2011, South Carolina has averaged approximately 130 positive cases a year. In 2019, 19 of the 148 confirmed rabies cases in South Carolina were in Charleston County.
Contact information for local Environmental Affairs offices are 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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