FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 7, 2006
Richland County residents warned to avoid wild or stray animals
COLUMBIA – A Richland County man is undergoing a series of inoculations to prevent rabies after being exposed to the disease by a fox near the Dutch Square area of the county, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control said today.
DHEC confirmed the fox was rabid on Sept. 6.
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 fox is the seventh confirmed rabid animal in Richland County in 2006. Last year, there were seven 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 110 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 Richland County Environmental Health Office at (803) 576-2910. 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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