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Rabid raccoon found in Newberry County

No human contact reported in Prosperity, South Carolina, but 11 potentially exposed stray cats will be euthanized as a precaution
Credit: AP Images

PROSPERITY, S.C. — The Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) confirmed that a raccoon found near Houston Road by Hawleek Creek in Prosperity, SC has tested positive for rabies. While there are no known human exposures reported at this time, eleven stray cats were potentially exposed and out of an abundance of caution will be euthanized.

The raccoon was submitted to DHEC's laboratory for testing on February 1st and was confirmed to have rabies on February 2nd.

DHEC wants the pubic to contact the agency if they know of any possible human or animal exposure. 

If you're bitten or scratched by a wild, stray or unvaccinated animal care for the wound properly and contact your health care provider. The health care provider is required to report the incident to DHEC.

If your pet is found with wounds of unknown origin, please consider that your pet could have been exposed to rabies and contact DHEC's Environmental Affairs Columbia office at (803) 896-0620 during normal business hours (8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday) or the DHEC after-hours service number at (888) 847-0902 (Select Option 2).

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 Newberry County to test positive for rabies in 2021. There have been five cases of rabid animals statewide this year. Since 2002, South Carolina has averaged approximately 148 positive cases a year. In 2020, 13 of the 168 confirmed rabies cases in South Carolina were in Newberry County.

Contact information for local Environmental Affairs Offices is available at www.scdhec.gov/EAoffices. For more information on rabies, visit www.scdhec.gov/rabies or www.cdc.gov/rabies.

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