Rabid Bobcat Confirmed in Georgetown County; One Pet Exposed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Aug. 22, 2024

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed that a bobcat found near Pleasant Hill Drive and Caterpillar Court in Hemingway, S.C., has tested positive for rabies. One dog was exposed and will be quarantined as required in the South Carolina Rabies Control Act.

The bobcat was submitted to DPH's laboratory for testing on Aug. 19, 2024, and was confirmed to have rabies on Aug. 20, 2024. If you believe you, someone you know, or your pets have come in contact with this bobcat, or another animal that potentially has rabies, please call DPH's 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).

"To reduce the risk of getting rabies, always give wild and stray animals plenty of space," said Terri McCollister, Rabies Program director. "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 wildlife rehabilitator." 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. If your pet is found with wounds of unknown origin, please consider that your pet may have been exposed to rabies.

It is important to keep pets up to date on their rabies vaccination, which is one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect against the disease. This bobcat is the first animal in Georgetown County to test positive for rabies in 2024. There have been 51 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 Georgetown 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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