NewsDesk @bactiman63
South Carolina health officials reported yesterday that a horse found near Thrush Road and Martin Towne Road in Ninety Six, S.C., has tested positive for rabies.
Four people were potentially exposed and have been referred to their healthcare providers for medical consultation.
South Carolina law requires all dogs, cats, and ferrets be vaccinated against rabies and revaccinated at a frequency to provide continuous protection of the pet from rabies using a vaccine approved by the department and licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Livestock are also susceptible to rabies and all livestock with USDA approved rabies vaccinations should be vaccinated. Cattle and horses, however, are the most frequently reported infected livestock species. Species for which licensed vaccines are not available, goat and swine, that have frequent contact with humans or are considered valuable should also be vaccinated.
“Keeping your pets and livestock current on their rabies vaccination is a responsibility that comes with owning an animal. It is one of the easiest and most effective ways you can protect yourself, your family, your pets, and your livestock from this fatal disease. That is an investment worth making to provide yourself some peace of mind,” said Terri McCollister, DHEC’s Rabies Program Team Leader.
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This horse is the first animal in Greenwood County to test positive for rabies in 2022 There have been four cases of rabid animals statewide this year. Since 2002, South Carolina has averaged approximately 148 positive cases a year. In 2021, three of the 101 confirmed rabies cases in South Carolina were in Greenwood County.
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