FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 18, 2023

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) confirmed that a raccoon found near Forbes Avenue and Magnolia Road in Charleston, S.C., has tested positive for rabies. One person was potentially exposed and has been referred to their healthcare provider. 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 July 14, 2023, and was confirmed to have rabies on July 17, 2023. 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 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).

“Rabies is usually transmitted through a bite or scratch which allows saliva from an infected animal to be introduced into the body of a person or another animal,” said Rabies Program Team Leader Terri McCollister. “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.”

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 Charleston County to test positive for rabies in 2023. There have been 35 cases of rabid animals statewide this year. Since 2002, South Carolina has averaged approximately 148 positive cases a year. In 2022, three of the 83 confirmed rabies cases in South Carolina were in Charleston 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.