Rabid Animals Confirmed in Multiple Counties; One Person, Two Cats, Two Dogs, and Nine Goats Exposed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Aug. 27, 2026

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) has confirmed rabies in a skunk from Greenville County and in bats from Beaufort, Greenwood and Pickens counties.

• In Greenville County, a skunk was found near Cedar Falls and Sweet Water roads in Fountain Inn, S.C. Two cats, two dogs and nine goats were exposed and will be quarantined as required in the South Carolina Rabies Control Act.
• In Beaufort County, a bat was found near Headlands Drive and Oyster Rake Lane in Hilton Head, S.C. One person was exposed and has been referred to their healthcare provider.
• In Greenwood County, a bat was found near Miller and Ridge roads in Greenwood, S.C. One dog was exposed and will be quarantined as required in the South Carolina Rabies Control Act.
• In Pickens County, a bat was found near Wylie Court and E. Hill Drive in Easley, S.C. Two cats were exposed and will be quarantined as required in the South Carolin Rabies Control Act.

All animals were submitted to DPH's laboratory for testing Aug. 21, 2026, and were confirmed to have rabies Aug. 25, 2026. If you believe you, someone you know, or your pets have come in contact with this skunk, these bats, or another animal that potentially has rabies, please call DPH's Upstate Greenville-Spartanburg office at (864) 372-3270 or the 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). 

Never handle a bat or any wild or stray animal, alive or dead, with your bare hands. Any bat that could have had potential contact with people, pets, or livestock should be safely trapped in a sealed container and not touched. Never release a bat that has potentially exposed a person or pet. Once a bat is released, it cannot be tested for rabies.

“Rabid bats have been known to transmit the rabies virus,” said Terri McCollister, Rabies Program manager. “People don’t always realize they or a pet have been bitten since bat teeth are tiny and bites are easy to overlook.” Because of this, you should always assume a person or pet has potentially been bitten when:

• They wake up to find a bat in a room or tent;
• A bat is found where children, pets, or persons with impaired mental capacity (intoxicated or mentally disabled) have been left unattended; or
• They have been in direct contact with a bat.

“Although bats can carry rabies, not every bat is infected with the virus. Bats are an important part of South Carolina's ecosystems and deserve a healthy degree of respect just like all wild animals,” McCollister said.

You cannot tell if a bat, or any other animal, has rabies by simply looking at it. Rabies must be confirmed in a laboratory. Unusual behavior in bats that might indicate the animal has rabies includes daytime activity, inability to fly, and being found in places they are not usually seen, like in your home or on your lawn. An exposure is defined as direct contact (such as through broken skin or mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, or mouth) with saliva or brain/nervous system tissue from an infected animal. Be sure to immediately wash any part of your body that may have come in contact with saliva or neural tissue with plenty of soap and water and seek medical attention.

South Carolina law requires all dogs, cats, and ferrets be vaccinated against rabies and revaccinated at a frequency to provide continuous protection of the pet from rabies using a vaccine approved by DPH and licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Livestock are susceptible to rabies and all livestock that can receive USDA-approved rabies vaccinations should be vaccinated. Species for which licensed vaccines are not available (goat and swine), that have frequent contact with humans, or are considered valuable, should also be vaccinated.  

In 2026, this skunk is the fifth animal in Greenville County to test positive for rabies. The Beaufort bat is the second animal to test positive for rabies in this county. The positive bats in Greenwood and Pickens bring the totals in those counties to six and three, respectively. There have been 78 cases of rabid animals statewide this year. Since 2002, South Carolina has averaged approximately 136 positive cases a year. In 2025, 10 of the 101 confirmed rabies cases in South Carolina were in Greenville County, two were in Beaufort County, three were in Greenwood County and four were in Pickens County.

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

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