State health officials say an Horry County woman, who was bitten by a fox Saturday, is under the care of a physician after the animal tested positive for rabies.
It happened in the Little River area. DHEC says the fox came into a neighborhood where children were playing. DHEC's Sue Ferguson says the woman was bitten after attempts were made to shoot the fox with a BB gun. The woman is receiving preventative inoculations.
If the rabies virus reaches the brain, it's fatal.
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 first confirmed rabid animal in Horry County in 2010. Last year, there were eleven rabid animals confirmed in the county, including nine raccoons, a cat and a bat.
In 2009, there were 152 confirmed cases of rabies in animals in South Carolina. So far this year, there have been 31 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 Horry County Environmental Health office at (843) 915-8801.
The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web page about rabies can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies.
