World Rabies Day is Wednesday

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) joins other health agencies on Wednesday to mark World Rabies Day.  The effort is aimed to end the deadly virus. To help increase awareness about the importance of rabies prevention, DHEC is hosting a social media photo contest featuring vaccinated pets and livestock. South Carolina residents can submit their photos for a chance to win prizes and be included in DHEC’s World Rabies Day photo album on its official Facebook and Flickr pages. To learn how to submit your photos for the World Rabies Day photo album, visit www.scdhec.gov/rabies, and join DHEC in the fight to #EndRabies. The photo album and contest winners will be unveiled on World Rabies Day, Sept. 28. “Rabies is a deadly virus that is transmitted when saliva or neural tissue of an infected animal is introduced into the body,” said Sandra Craig of DHEC’s Bureau of Environmental Health Services. “Exposure can occur through a bite, scratch or contact with saliva to broken skin or mucous membranes such as the eyes or mouth.” In 2011, South Carolina experienced its first human death from rabies in 53 years due to an unreported exposure to a rabid bat. Rabies in humans is preventable if treatment is provided promptly after exposure. Every year hundreds of South Carolinians must undergo preventive treatment for rabies, due to exposure to a rabid or suspected rabid animal. “State law requires animal owners to have their dog, cat or ferret vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian,” Craig said. “Keeping your pets 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 from this fatal disease.” To help reduce the risk of contracting rabies, DHEC recommends avoiding contact with any wild or stray animal – especially wild animals that are acting tame, or tame animals acting wild.