Fox potentially exposes person to rabies in Richland County
One person is undergoing rabies treatment after being potentially exposed to the deadly disease by a fox, according to Department of Health and Environmental Control officials.
The victim was bitten by a fox in the Arcadia Lakes area Sept. 26, according to a news release from DHEC.
The fox was capture and tested Sept. 27, which confirmed the animal had rabies, the release stated.
The fox is the third animal in Richland County to test positive for rabies so far this year. The state has had 78 confirmed cases of animal rabies in 2016.
Last year, 11 of the 130 rabies cases in South Carolina were in Richland County.
Sandra Craig, DHEC’s Bureau of Environmental Health Services, said rabies is a deadly disease that is transmitted through saliva or neural tissue, usually through a bite or contact with an open wound or areas such as the mouth or eyes.
"Always play it safe and give animals their space, particularly wild and stray animals,” Craig said.
DHEC reported hundreds of South Carolinians under preventive treatment for rabies every year
DHEC is asking residents to be cautious around wild or stray animals and to keep pets up-to-date with rabies vaccines.
Rabies information
For more information about rabies, visit SCDHEC’s website, contact DHEC’s BEHS office or visit the CDC’s rabies webpage.
This story was originally published September 30, 2016 at 1:47 PM with the headline "Fox potentially exposes person to rabies in Richland County."