FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 2008
Upstate residents warned about dangers of contact with wild animals
COLUMBIA – The public is alerted to refrain from contact with wild animals after a fox exposed several individuals before it died from rabies, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control advised Friday.
"DHEC's Bureau of Laboratories confirmed Tuesday that the fox tested positive for rabies," said Sue Ferguson of DHEC's Bureau of Environmental Health. "DHEC wants to thank the Upstate media for helping locate the couple who had originally found the fox so they could be evaluated for any risk from this deadly disease."
Ferguson said the sought-after hearing-impaired couple did not need preventive inoculations because they did not come into contact with the animal’s saliva. Four other residents are receiving preventive inoculations because 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. Once the rabies virus reaches the brain, the disease is fatal to humans and animals.
"We want to emphasize the dangers posed by wild animals and advise people to avoid contact with them, especially during the warmer months when people naturally spend more time outside and have more chance for interaction with animals.
"Avoid wild animals acting tame and tame animals acting wild," Ferguson said. "An animal suffering from rabies might not show the stereotypical signs of foaming at the mouth, but instead might stagger, show little natural fear of humans or be a normally nocturnal animal out in the daytime.
"Never attempt to feed, pet, adopt or trap a wild animal yourself," Ferguson said. "It is better to contact a professional who can safely remove and take care of the animal with less chance of disease exposure. The likelihood of you being able to catch a healthy wild animal is low, so the probability is high that if you can catch it, it is infected.
"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," she said. "Then be sure to get medical attention and report the incident to DHEC."
In 2007, there were 162 confirmed cases of rabies in animals in South Carolina. This is the 66th confirmed case of rabies in animals so far this year. This is the third confirmed case of rabies in animals in Greenville County this year.
For more information about rabies, see DHEC's Web page at: http://www.scdhec.gov/rabies or contact DHEC’s Greenville County Environmental Health Office at (864) 260-4146. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web page about rabies can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies.
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For more information:
Clair Boatwright – (803) 898-4461
E-mail – boatwrc@dhec.sc.gov
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