South Carolina health officials are reporting that three people have been referred to their health care providers for consultation after being potentially exposed to rabies in Oconee County by a cow that tested positive for the disease.
The exposures occurred while the victims were providing general care to the cow. After it was reported that the cow was acting sick, the cow was submitted to the University of Georgia for testing. On August 27, test results confirmed the cow had rabies.
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“To reduce the risk of getting rabies, we recommend that people use caution when pets or livestock exhibit sudden changes in behavior,” said David Vaughan, Director of the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) Onsite Wastewater, Rabies Prevention, and Enforcement Division. “This is especially true if owners notice unexplained injuries on their animals or stray/wild animals mingling with livestock or pets.”
Keeping your animals up-to-date on their rabies vaccination is one of the easiest and most effective ways you can protect yourself, your family, and your pets or livestock from this fatal disease.
The cow is the third animal in Oconee County to test positive for rabies in 2018. There have been 66 confirmed animal cases of rabies statewide this year.
