Rabies case confirmed

By Charles Sowell  

AUGUST 9, 2010 11:30 a.m. (0)

A fourth case of rabies this year has been confirmed in Greenville County and a Pelzer woman is undergoing the painful treatment to prevent the disease, state officials have said.

"The woman was attacked as she approached the fox while it was attacking her dogs," said Sue Ferguson of DHEC's Bureau of Environmental Health.

Last year 11 rabid animals found in Greenville County. Last year, statewide, there were 152 confirmed cases of rabies and so far this year, there have been 61, DHEC said.

Ferguson said the disease is fatal to humans and animals once the it reaches the brain, so the woman is receiving preventive inoculations.

Anyone bitten, scratched or otherwise exposed to the saliva of a rabid animal must undergo immediate measures to stop the virus.

"Avoid wild animals acting tame and tame animals acting wild," Ferguson said. "About 400 South Carolinians must undergo preventive treatment for rabies every year, with most exposures from being bitten or scratched by a rabid or suspected rabid animal. Wild animals carry the disease most often, but domestic pets can contract rabies as well.”

State law requires all pets be vaccinated against rabies.

"If you think you have been exposed to the rabies virus through a bite, scratch or the saliva of a possibly infected animal, immediately wash the affected area with plenty of soap and water," she said. "Then be sure to get medical attention and report the incident to DHEC."

For more information about rabies, see DHEC's webpage at: http://www.scdhec.gov/rabies or contact DHECs Greenville County Environmental Health Office (864) 282-4146. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's webpage about rabies can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/rabies.

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