BENNETTSVILLE, SC (WBTW) – A resident of Bennettsville was told to consult a doctor after being scratched by a raccoon with rabies, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
DHEC officials confirm in a press release that one person has been referred to their health care provider after being potentially exposed to rabies in Bennettsville by a raccoon that tested positive for the disease.
Officials say on April 27, the victim was scratched by the raccoon and the animal tested positive for rabies Tuesday.
“Rabies is transmitted when saliva or neural tissue of an infected animal is introduced into the body; usually this occurs through a bite, or contact with an open wound, or entry through areas such as the eyes, nose, or mouth,” said David Vaughan, Director, DHEC Onsite Wastewater, Rabies Prevention, and Enforcement Division.
If you think you may have been exposed to an animal with rabies, immediately wash the affected area with plenty of soap and water. Be sure to get medical attention and report the incident to your local DHEC office.
This raccoon is the first animal in Marlboro County to test positive for rabies in 2018. There have been 23 confirmed cases of animal rabies statewide this year. In 2017, none of the 63 confirmed rabies cases in South Carolina was in Marlboro County.
