COLUMBIA - A woman is under the care of a physician after being bitten by a dog that has tested positive for rabies, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported today.
“The woman was in her yard between Shell Point and Beaufort when she was bitten,” said Sue Ferguson of DHEC's Bureau of Environmental Health. “County animal control officers eventually trapped the stray dog and submitted it to us for testing.”
Ferguson said once the rabies virus reaches the brain, the disease is fatal to humans and animals, so the woman 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 Beaufort County in 2009. Last year, there were 11 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 92 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 Beaufort County Environmental Health office at (843) 525-7627. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web page about rabies can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies.