Rabid Bat Confirmed in Townville

The Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) confirmed that a bat found near Smith Point Road and Crick Hill Road in Townville, S.C. has tested positive for rabies. One pet was potentially exposed and will be quarantined as required in the South Carolina Rabies Control Act. The bat was submitted to DHEC’s laboratory for testing on August 17 and was confirmed to have rabies on August 18.

Please contact DHEC if you know of any possible human or animal exposures. Be sure to immediately wash any part of your body that may have come into contact with saliva or neural tissue with plenty of soap and water and seek medical attention.

Exposure is defined as a bite, scratch, or direct contact with saliva or body fluids from an infected animal. Any bat that could have had potential contact with people, pets, or livestock should be safely trapped in a sealed container and not touched.

Never release a bat that has potentially exposed a person or pet. Once a bat is released, it cannot be tested for rabies. Similarly, never handle a bat or any wild or stray animal, alive or dead, with your bare hands.

Earlier this month, DHEC confirmed a case of rabies in a skunk located near West Pine Grove Road and Hornick Drive in Seneca. There were no known human or pet exposures in that instance.