NEWBERRY, S.C. — The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) confirmed that a skunk found near Bethel Church Road and Lake Road in Prosperity, S.C. has tested positive for rabies.
One pet dog was exposed and will be quarantined as required in the South Carolina Rabies Control Act.
The skunk was submitted to DHEC's laboratory for testing on Nov. 9 and was confirmed to have rabies on Nov. 10, according to DHEC officials.
Please notify DHEC of any possible human or animal exposure, officials say.
"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," said David Vaughan, director of DHEC's Onsite Wastewater, Rabies Prevention, and Enforcement Division. "Be sure to get medical attention and report the incident to DHEC."
If a pet is found with wounds of unknown origin, please consider that pet could have been exposed to rabies and contact DHEC's Environmental Affairs Columbia office at (803) 896-0620 during normal business hours (8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Friday). To report a bite or exposure on holidays or times outside of normal business hours, please call the DHEC after-hours service number at (888) 847-0902.
Officials say it is important to keep pets up to date on their rabies vaccination, as this is one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect against the disease.
This skunk is the tenth animal in Newberry County to test positive for rabies in 2020. There have been 154 cases of rabid animals statewide this year. Since 2011, South Carolina has averaged approximately 130 positive cases a year. In 2019, five of the 148 confirmed rabies cases in South Carolina were in Newberry County.
Contact information for local Environmental Affairs Offices is available at www.scdhec.gov/EAoffices. For more information on rabies, visit www.scdhec.gov/rabies or www.cdc.gov/rabies.
