State Confirms Berkeley County Rabies Case

Two Berkeley County boys are being treated after a cat that scratched  them tested positive for rabies, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The boys were scratched by the stray cat in the Oakley Pointe subdivision near Moncks Corner, said Sue Ferguson of DHEC's Bureau of Environmental Health. Both boys are receiving preventive inoculations.

State law requires that all pets be vaccinated against rabies. DHEC is also warning Berkeley County residents to avoid strays. "Avoid wild animals acting tame and tame animals acting wild," Ferguson said.

Rabies is fatal to humans and animals once the virus reaches the brain. However, the death rate among humans in the U.S. is very rare (one or two a year) because of treatment. 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.

"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," Ferguson said. "Then be sure to get medical attention and report the incident to DHEC."

This is the second confirmed rabid animal in Berkeley County in 2011, according to DHEC. 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 65 confirmed cases in animals in the state.

For more information about rabies, see DHEC's webpage at: http://www.scdhec.gov/rabies or contact DHEC’s Berkeley County Environmental Health Office (843) 719-4649.