2 rabies cases reported in Savannah area. 7 dogs exposed to deadly disease, officials say

Two raccoons have tested positive for rabies in the Savannah area, health officials reported on Thursday.

One of the raccoons was found in Thunderbolt, and the other was found off East Victory Drive between Bee Road and the Truman Parkway, according to a news release from the Chatham County Health Department.

“In both cases, family dogs came into contact with the raccoons,” the news release said. “In the first case, three dogs that were up-to-date on vaccinations are under 45-day home observation. In the second case, one dog and three puppies that were not up-to-date on vaccinations and are in quarantine at Chatham County Animal Services.”

Health officials recommend avoiding contact with wild animals and having your pets vaccinated, the news release said.

Two people were bitten by rabid foxes in the Bluffton area in July, and multiple people were exposed to rabies after a cat and raccoon fought in Beaufort the month before.

As of Aug. 31, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control had recorded seven confirmed rabies cases for the year. Of those, three involved raccoons, three involved foxes and one involved a cat.

There have been 67 confirmed rabies cases in South Carolina so far in 2018, according to SC DHEC data. In 2017, there were 63 cases, and in 2016 there were 94.

The majority of cases in all three years involved raccoons.