With Swine Flu getting so much attention, it's easy to overlook other equally dangerous diseases like rabies. Rabies exposure isn't limited to rural areas - it can happen anywhere.
Homeowners in an upscale Little River subdivision are being warned that their neighborhood is not immune from rabid animal attacks. One of their neighbors found that out the hard way.
Nancy Addis has quite a story to tell. "I sat up in a sitting position, turned around and it was coming right at me." Nancy and her dog, Splinters, were in her fenced-in backyard early Saturday morning, when they were confronted by a raccoon.
Nancy tried to shoo it away, but as she tried to get back in her house, she slipped and fell to the ground and the raccoon attacked. "It came around, it bit my ring finger here and then it came around and bit my pointing finger."
Nancy and her husband managed to trap the animal in an empty trash can. It later tested positive for rabies.. and nancy now has to undergo a series of shots to defeat the virus.
Now, a DHEC official is going door to door in the Sunset Harbour Subdivision, warning Nancy's neighbors that it can happen here. "Even if you feel safe in an enclave like this, animals - there are no boundaries, no walls. Creeks and ditches don't keep those animals out," said Vicki Blair, SCDHEC.
Neighbors, like Don Summey, say they see raccoons and foxes in the area all the time, but never imagined one of them might attack. "I'll be more cautious when I see them. I won't pretend like they're just wild animals, it's something you really have to be concerned about."
Nancy Addis says the raccoon attack taught her a painful, but valuable message that she's passing along to her neighbors. Be aware - a rabid animal could attack you in your own backyard.
DHEC is telling pets owners in that neighborhood to make sure their pets are vaccinated and keep them on a leash when you can. Also keep a close eye on them, even when they're in the backyard.
DHEC has scheduled a series of rabies clinics for pet owners. (DHEC Rabies Clinics)
Here's a good saying to remember about rabid animals: Be aware of wild animals acting tame, or tame animals acting wild.
For more tips, click here. (SC DHEC)
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Earlier story posted on CarolinaLive.com:
SC Department of Health and Environmental Control officials say a woman in Little River will be undergoing treatment for rabies after being bitten by a raccoon.
Officials say the woman managed to capture the animal so it could be tested and the results came back positive for rabies.
Tuesday, officials are going house-to-house in the Sunset Harbour subdivision, handing out informational fliers about rabies and answering residents' questions about the disease.
