FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 31, 2006
Chesterfield County residents warned to avoid wild or stray animals
COLUMBIA – A Chesterfield County woman is undergoing a series of inoculations to prevent rabies after being exposed to the disease by a stray cat near Chesterfield, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control said today.
DHEC confirmed the cat was rabid on August 30.
Because rabies is fatal to humans and animals, anyone bitten, scratched or otherwise exposed to the saliva of a rabid animal must undergo immediate preventive measures to stop the virus from reaching the brain, said Sue Ferguson of DHEC's Bureau of Environmental Health.
Ferguson said that each year about 400 South Carolinians have to undergo preventive treatment for rabies.
“If you are bitten or scratched by a wild animal or domestic pet, immediately wash the wound with plenty of soap and water,” she said. “Be sure to get medical attention and report the incident to DHEC.”
According to Ferguson, people’s pets are much more likely to come into contact with wild animals than their owners are, so she recommends an additional layer of protection to reduce the risk of rabies to protect both the pets and their owners.
“State law requires that all pets be vaccinated against rabies, so we strongly encourage residents to make sure their own pets have been vaccinated."
This cat is the first confirmed rabid animal in Chesterfield County in 2006. Last year, there were five rabid animals confirmed in the county. In 2005, there were 220 confirmed cases of rabies in animals in South Carolina. So far this year, there have been 108 confirmed cases in animals in the state.
For more information about rabies, see DHEC's Web page at: www.scdhec.gov/rabies or call DHEC’s Chesterfield County Environmental Health Office at (843) 623-2117. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web page about rabies can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies.
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For more information:
Thom Berry – (803) 898-3885
E-mail – berrytw@dhec.sc.gov
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