FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Jan. 12, 2024

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) confirmed that a raccoon found near Stadium Road and Orvis Street in Sumter, S.C., has tested positive for rabies. One person was exposed and has been referred to their health care provider.

The raccoon was found Nov. 29, 2023, and held in isolation for 40 days before developing symptoms of rabies Jan. 8, 2024. The raccoon was submitted to DHEC's laboratory for testing Jan. 10, 2024, and was confirmed to have rabies Jan. 11, 2024. If you believe you, someone you know or your pets have come in contact with this raccoon or another animal that potentially has rabies, please call DHEC's Public Health Conway office at (843) 915-8801 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).

“Signs of rabies in raccoons and other wild animals cannot be reliably interpreted and, unlike dogs and cats, there is no established time frame for monitoring raccoons and other wild animals to rule out the possibility of rabies,” said Terri McCollister, Rabies Program director. “Rabies is usually transmitted through a bite or scratch that 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.”

“To reduce the risk of getting rabies, always give wild and stray animals their space,” McCollister said.

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 raccoon is the first animal in Sumter County to test positive for rabies in 2024. There have been four cases of rabid animals statewide

this year. Since 2002, South Carolina has averaged approximately 148 positive cases a year. In 2023, none of the 78 confirmed rabies cases in South Carolina were in Sumter County.

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

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