Raccoon that entered Lexington Medical Center had rabies, SC health officials say

At least one person was exposed to a rabid raccoon that was recently found after it entered Lexington Medical Center.

That person was told to seek medical treatment after the raccoon tested positive for rabies on Dec. 19, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control officials said Monday in a news release.

Further information on the person’s condition was not available, and hospital officials did not say if it was an employee.

The raccoon got inside the new tower, near the courtyard on the hospital campus in West Columbia, after a person opened a door, Lexington Medical Center spokeswoman Jennifer Wilson told The State Tuesday. Once the door was opened, the raccoon ran inside.

Lexington Medical Center is located near a large wooded area, but Wilson said she has never heard of a raccoon entering the hospital in the past.

Health officials said an exposure is direct contact — possibly through broken skin or mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, or mouth — from a bite, scratch, or contact with saliva, body fluids, or brain/nervous system tissue from an infected or possibly infected animal.

“To reduce the risk of getting rabies, always give wild and stray animals plenty of space,” DHEC’s Rabies Program Team Leader Terri McCollister said in the release. “If you see an animal in need, avoid touching it and contact someone trained in handling animals, such as your local animal control officer or wildlife rehabilitator.”

This raccoon is the 14th animal in Lexington County to test positive for rabies in 2020, health officials said. Last year, 17 of the 148 confirmed rabies cases in South Carolina were in Lexington County, according to the release.

That includes a bobcat that was confirmed to have rabies in June after being found in a neighborhood between U.S. 1 (Augusta Highway) and U.S. 378.

There have been 167 cases of rabid animals statewide this year, and South Carolina has averaged approximately 130 positive cases a year since 2011, according to DHEC.

No household pets are known to have been exposed to the rabid raccoon, but DHEC said keeping pets up-to-date on rabies vaccinations is the best way to protect against the spread of the deadly virus.

DHEC officials said if a pet is found with unknown wounds it could have been exposed to rabies, and the owner should call 803-896-0620 during normal business hours, or 888-847-0902 at other times.

This story was originally published December 22, 2020 at 8:14 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

803-771-8435

Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription