DHEC confirms rabid raccoon exposure in Charleston County

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control says a person from Charleston County was exposed to a raccoon that tested positive for rabies.

A raccoon found near Wade Hampton Drive and Robert E Lee Boulevard tested positive for rabies, according to a release from the department. It was submitted to DHEC’s laboratory on Saturday, and officials confirmed it had rabies on Tuesday.

A second rabid raccoon was found in Saluda County, officials say. A dog was exposed and will be quarantined as required in the South Carolina Rabies Control Act.

Officials say the raccoon in Charleston County is the fifth animal to test positive for rabies in the county this year.

If you, someone you know or your pets have come in contact with a rabid animal, you’re asked to call DHEC’s Environmental Affairs Charleston office at 843-953-0150.

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