Rabid Raccoon Confirmed in Charleston County; One Pet Exposed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Jan. 27, 2026

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed that a raccoon found near Kemway and Burden Creek roads in Johns Island, S.C., has tested positive for rabies. No people are known to have been exposed at this time. One dog was exposed and will be quarantined as required in the South Carolina Rabies Control Act.

The raccoon was submitted to DPH's laboratory for testing Jan. 23, 2026, and was confirmed to have rabies Jan. 26, 2026. 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 DPH's 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).

“Keeping your pets up to date on their rabies vaccination is the easiest way to protect you and your family from this deadly virus,” said Terri McCollister, Rabies Program manager. “Any mammal has the ability to carry and transmit the disease to people or pets. Therefore, give wild and stray animals plenty of space.”

In South Carolina, rabies is most often found in wildlife such as raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats, but pets are just as susceptible to the virus. If you see an animal in need, avoid touching it. Contact someone trained in handling animals, such as your local animal control officer, wildlife control officer, or a 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.

This raccoon is the first animal in Charleston County to test positive for rabies in 2026. There have been five cases of rabid animals statewide this year. Since 2002, South Carolina has averaged approximately 136 positive cases a year. In 2025, eight of the 101 confirmed rabies cases in South Carolina were in Charleston County.

Contact information for your 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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