Three rabies-positive animals identified in South Carolina on Sept. 11—one bat, one skunk and one stray cat—resulted in reported exposure of six people and seven pets across Anderson, Horry and York counties. The animals were submitted for testing Sept. 10, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Health.
The immediate issue is exposure, not the statewide total
The current cases involve different exposure pathways. A skunk found near Daniel Drive and Williford Road in Anderson County involved one person. A stray cat near Hendricks Short Cut Road and Zaccheus Lane in Conway involved two people, one dog and two cats, while other stray cats in the area may also have been exposed. In York County, a bat near Lometa Drive and Waterside Trail involved three people, two dogs and two cats, the health department reported.
Those details matter because people and pets may require different follow-up after contact with a potentially rabid animal. South Carolina says anyone who does not seek medical treatment after a bite or scratch must report the incident to the county office by the end of the following business day, according to the department's rabies contact guidance.
What the available records show
The verified historical figures provide a comparison point but not a basis for declaring a new statewide trend. South Carolina recorded 101 confirmed rabies cases in 2025. That year included 11 cases in Anderson County, three in Horry County and nine in York County, according to the Department of Public Health.
A separate Nov. 12, 2025, incident also illustrates how exposure counts can differ from the number of infected animals: a rabid cat in Richland County exposed six people, while a rabid skunk in Anderson County exposed two dogs, the department reported in a separate release. These incidents are useful comparisons, but they do not by themselves show that rabies is becoming more common.
The animal mix also varies from report to report. In the department's 2021 laboratory report, raccoons accounted for 30 of 101 confirmed cases, followed by skunks with 24, bats with 21, foxes with 14, cats with seven and dogs with three. The report is a historical snapshot, not a measurement of the 2026 event or proof that the three current cases share a cause.
Pet owners should wait for official instructions
South Carolina law requires the county health department to provide written notice to an owner whose dog, cat or ferret was bitten by or otherwise exposed to an animal affected or suspected of having rabies. That means the response for an exposed pet should be determined through the county health department and animal-control process rather than assumed from the animal's species alone, according to the South Carolina Rabies Control Act.
The Department of Public Health says rabies is most often found in wildlife such as raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats, although pets are also susceptible. Owners can review the state's yearly laboratory reports for confirmed cases by county and animal type.
Where residents can turn
The state defines a low-cost rabies vaccination as $10 or less and lists year-round and mobile clinic resources through its vaccination information. York County Animal Services directs residents with wildlife nuisance concerns to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources at 803-955-4000, according to the county's animal-services guidance.
The September cases underscore a practical point supported by the records: a single confirmed animal can create several human and pet exposures, while confirmed case counts alone do not describe the size or severity of an exposure event. Anyone who may have been bitten or scratched should seek medical advice promptly and contact South Carolina's 24-hour rabies reporting line at (888) 847-0902, option 2.
