Beaufort County resident bitten by raccoon with rabies, officials say

A Beaufort County resident was exposed to rabies last week after being bitten by a raccoon that had the disease, according to a news release from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The victim was bit by the raccoon on Dec. 27, 2018 on Lady’s Island Drive in the area south of Red Oak Drive in northern Beaufort County, according to the DHEC news release.

The raccoon was tested a few days later and confirmed to have rabies on Jan. 1. The victim was subsequently referred to a health care provider, the news release said.

In 2018, 100 animals tested positive for rabies in South Carolina. Nine of those cases occurred in Beaufort County — the most of any county in the state, according to DHEC data.

Rabies is usually spread by a bite, according David Vaughan, director of rabies prevention for Department of Health and Environmental Control.

To reduce the risk of becoming exposed to rabies, give wild and stray animals their space and avoid touching them, Vaughan advised in the news release.

“If any part of your body may have come in contact with saliva or neural tissue, be sure to immediately wash the area with plenty of soap and water and seek medical attention,” Vaughan said in the press release.

Keeping pets vaccinated against rabies is also one of the “easiest and most effective ways” to protect oneself and pets against the disease, according to the release.

If you think you may have been exposed to rabies, call the DHEC Environmental Affairs Beaufort office at 843-846-1030.

Contact information for local Bureau of Environmental Health Services’ offices is available at: http://www.scdhec.gov/EAOffices. For more information on rabies visit: www.scdhec.gov/rabies or www.cdc.gov/rabies/.