CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — One person was exposed to rabies after a rabid racoon was found near Sam Rittenberg Boulevard and Old Towne Road in Charleston, according to a released from the South Carolina Department of Public Health.
The report states that the racoon was located in the aforementioned area and was submitted for laboratory testing on Oct. 12. The animal was confirmed to have rabies one day later and the exposed individual was refereed to their health care provider for treatment.
Anyone who believes that they, someone they know, or their pets have come in contact with the infected racoon or any other animal that potentially has rabies is urged to contact the Department of Public Health’s rabies prevention program reporting line at (888) 847-0902 (Select Option 2).
It is not possible to tell if any animal has rabies by simple looking at it and a rabies diagnosis must be confirmed in a lab. For that reason it is advised that individuals should never handle any wild or stray animal, alive or dead, with bare hands.
An exposure to a wild rabid animal is defined as any direct contact (such as through broken skin or mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, or mouth) with saliva or brain/nervous system tissue from an infected animal. In the case of an exposure, individuals are advised to immediately wash any part of the body that may have come in contact with saliva or neural tissue with plenty of soap and water and seek immediate medical attention.
The Charleston raccoon was the twelfth positive rabies animal in that county. Statewide, there have been 95 confirmed rabid animals this year. Since 2002, South Carolina has averaged approximately 136 positive cases a year.