Rabies cases here already double last year’s total

Ledger Staff Writer

Cherokee County residents are once again being urged to take precautions against rabies.

Two members of a Cherokee County family are being treated after one of them was scratched by a pet cat. This brings the total cases of individuals being treated for rabies in Cherokee County this year to four, doubling last year’s number of occurrences for the entire year.

The cat had been ill for several days before it scratched its owner last Thursday. On Friday, it was confirmed to be rabid.

There have been eight confirmed cases of human exposure to rabies in South Carolina this year, with four occurrences in Cherokee County. Two of the cases involved pet cats in the Grassy Pond community.

The first confirmed case of rabies in humans in the county also occurred after the victim was scratched by an unvaccinated pet cat.

The second case happened south of Gaffney near Limestone Mill Creek and Gregory Road off Hwy. 150. The resident received rabies treatments after being bitten by a rabid raccoon.

In 2004, there were 181 confirmed cases of rabies in animals in South Carolina. About 400 South Carolinians undergo preventative treatment for rabies every year after being bitten by a rabid or suspected rabid animal, said Sue Ferguson of the Department of Health and Environmental Control’s (DHEC) Bureau of Environmental Health.

“Rabies is fatal to humans and animals, and anyone bitten, scratched or exposed to the saliva of a rabid animal must undergo immediate medical treatment to prevent the virus from reaching the brain,” Ferguson said. “If you are bitten or scratched by a wild animal or domestic pet, immediately wash the wound with plenty of soap and water. Be sure to get medical attention and make sure the incident is reported to your local DHEC Environmental Health Office at the county public health department.”

Rabies treatment includes an initial series of shots directly at the site of the bite. Four additional shots are given in the arm over a period of a month.

Residents are being urged to be aware of potentially rabid wild animals and to check their pets and the vaccination records of their pets. State law requires that all pets be vaccinated against rabies.

For more information about rabies, visit DHEC’s web site at:

http://www.scdhec.gov/hs/envhlth/rabies.htm;

or contact the Cherokee County Environmental Health Office at 487-2705.