Nine Spartanburg County residents are being treated after a dog that has tested positive for rabies bit one of them and potentially exposed the others to its saliva, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control said Thursday.
Residents in the Little Chicago area of Campobello are being asked to be careful around animals there, because others could have contracted rabies as well.
As for this case, “Only one man was actually bitten by the dog,” said Sue Ferguson of DHEC's Bureau of Environmental Health.
“Six other family members and two neighbors in the Little Chicago community near Campobello were potentially exposed to the saliva of the dog after it fought with a rabid raccoon.”
According to Ferguson, anyone bitten, scratched or otherwise exposed to the saliva of a rabid animal must undergo immediate measures to stop the virus from reaching the brain. Once the rabies virus reaches the brain, the disease is fatal to humans and animals, so these individuals are receiving preventive inoculations.
“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.
“Therefore, to protect both the pets and their owners, all residents should make sure their pets are regularly vaccinated against the disease. State law requires that all pets be vaccinated against rabies. Failure to do so can result in a misdemeanor charge.
“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.”
This is the second confirmed rabid animal in Spartanburg County in 2010.
Last year, there were six rabid animals confirmed in the county.
In 2009, there were 152 confirmed cases of rabies in animals in South Carolina.
So far this year, there have been 12 confirmed cases in animals in the state.
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