Darlington County residents are being advised to stay away from wild animals and to vaccinate their pets against rabies, after a Hartsville man was exposed to the disease.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control says the man was exposed to a rabid raccoon that got into a fight with the family dog.
Once the rabies virus reaches the brain, the disease is fatal to humans and animals, so the man is receiving preventive medicine. According to D-HEC, anyone who is bitten, scratched or otherwise exposed to the saliva of a rabid animal must undergo immediate measures to stop the virus from reaching the brain.
This is the first confirmed rabid animal in Darlington County in 2011. Last year, there was one rabid animal confirmed in the county. In 2010, there were 106 confirmed cases of rabies in animals in South Carolina. So far this year, there have been four confirmed cases in animals in the state.
For more information about rabies, see DHEC's web site. You can also contact DHEC's Hartsville Environmental Health Office at (843) 332-7303.
