FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 2, 2009
Georgetown County residents alerted about danger of rabies; advised to vaccinate pets
COLUMBIA, S.C. - A Georgetown County child who was exposed to a stray cat Oct. 29 is under the care of a physician after the animal tested positive for rabies, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control said today.
“The child was bitten after picking up a stray cat,” said Sue Ferguson of DHEC's Bureau of Environmental Health. “The cat was later found dead.”
Ferguson said once the rabies virus reaches the brain, the disease is fatal to humans and animals, so the child is receiving preventive inoculations.
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.
“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, we strongly encourage residents to make sure their pets are regularly vaccinated against the disease. State law requires that 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.”
This is the third confirmed rabid animal in Georgetown County in 2009. Last year, there were no rabid animals confirmed in the county. In 2008, there were 166 confirmed cases of rabies in animals in South Carolina. So far this year, there have been 134 confirmed cases in animals in the state.
For more information about rabies, see DHEC's Web page at: http://www.scdhec.gov/rabies or contact DHEC’s Georgetown County Environmental Health office at (843) 546-3613. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web page about rabies can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies.
-###-
For more information:
Thom Berry - (803) 898-3885
E-mail - berrytw@dhec.sc.gov
BNR1934