Rabid Skunk Confirmed in Oconee County and Rabid Calf Confirmed in Saluda County; Six People and One Pet Exposed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Sept. 25, 2024

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed that a skunk and a calf from two different counties have tested positive for rabies.

• A skunk found near Rocky Farm and Snow Creek roads in Seneca, 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. 
• A calf found in Prosperity, S.C., has also tested positive for rabies. Six people were exposed and referred to their health care providers.

Both the Oconee County skunk and Saluda County calf were submitted to DPH’s laboratory Sept. 19, 2024, and were confirmed to have rabies on Sept. 20, 2024. If you believe you, someone you know or your pets have come in contact with either the Oconee County skunk, Saluda County calf, or another animal that potentially has rabies, please call DPH's Upstate Greenville-Spartanburg office at (864) 372-3270 or Aiken office at (803) 642-1687 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). 

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 with USDA-approved rabies vaccinations should be vaccinated. Cattle and horses, however, are the most frequently reported infected livestock species. 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.

“Keeping your pets and livestock current on their rabies vaccination is a responsibility that comes with owning an animal. It is one of the easiest and most effective ways you can protect yourself, your family, your pets and your livestock from this fatal disease,” said Terri McCollister, DPH’s Rabies Program director.

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 DPH. 

In 2024, the Oconee County skunk is the ​fifth​ animal to test positive for rabies in that county, and the Saluda County calf is the fourth animal in that county to test positive for rabies. There have been 62 cases of rabid animals statewide this year. Since 2002, South Carolina has averaged approximately 148 positive cases a year. Of the 78 confirmed rabies cases in South Carolina in 2023, four ​were​ in Oconee​ County, and one was in Lexington County. 

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

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