Rabid raccoon may have exposed Beaufort resident to disease after attack on dog

A Beaufort resident may have been exposed to a rabies earlier this month after handling a dead raccoon that had earlier attacked a dog, according to news release Friday from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The unidentified person has been “has been referred to their health care provider” and the dog, which was not up to date on its vaccinations, “will be placed under a 45-day quarantine,” the release said.

The raccoon is the third animal in Beaufort County to test positive for rabies in 2017.

There have been 48 confirmed cases of animal rabies statewide this year.

In 2016, 13 of the 94 confirmed rabies cases in South Carolina were in Beaufort County, according to the release.

If a person or pet comes into contact with an animal and there is a possibility of rabies transmission, contact DHEC at 888-847-0902.

This story was originally published September 8, 2017 at 5:58 PM with the headline "Rabid raccoon may have exposed Beaufort resident to disease after attack on dog."