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by ERIN PARROTT
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South Carolina health officials are warning residents to remain vigilant after three animals in separate counties tested positive for rabies – including a horse that exposed more than a dozen people.
The South Carolina Department of Public Health (SCDPH) confirmed rabies cases involving the aforementioned horse in Aiken County, a skunk in Anderson County and a raccoon in Charleston County.
Thirteen people were exposed to the rabid horse, while four dogs were exposed to the other infected animals.
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AIKEN COUNTY
According to SCDPH, the rabid horse was found near Wire Road and Jaws Lane in Aiken, S.C.
The animal was submitted to the agency’s laboratory for testing on August 18, 2026, and was confirmed positive for rabies the following day.
Thirteen people who were exposed to the horse have since been referred to their healthcare providers.
The horse marks the seventh confirmed rabies case in Aiken County this year.
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ANDERSON COUNTY
In Anderson County, a skunk found near Stratford Drive and Reed Road in Anderson tested positive for the deadly virus.
The skunk was submitted for testing on August 17, 2026 and confirmed positive on August 18, 2026.
Two dogs were exposed to the animal and will be quarantined as required under the South Carolina Rabies Control Act.
This is the eighth rabid animal confirmed in Anderson County in 2026.
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CHARLESTON COUNTY
Meanwhile, a raccoon found near Brevard and Harvard roads in Charleston also tested positive for rabies.
Like the Anderson County skunk, the raccoon was submitted to SCDPH’s laboratory on August 17, 2026 and confirmed positive the following day.
Two dogs were exposed and will also be quarantined.
The raccoon represents the ninth confirmed rabies case in Charleston County this year.
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RELATED | RABID ANIMAL UPDATE: MULTIPLE COUNTIES IMPACTED
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STATEWIDE CASES CLIMB
The three cases come as South Carolina has recorded 72 rabid animals statewide so far in 2026.
For comparison, the Palmetto State recorded 101 confirmed cases during all of 2025, including three in Aiken County, 11 in Anderson County and nine in Charleston County.
Since 2002, South Carolina has averaged approximately 136 positive rabies cases annually.
State law requires dogs, cats and ferrets to remain continuously vaccinated against rabies. SCDPH also recommends vaccinating livestock when an approved vaccine is available.
“Keeping your pets and livestock current on their rabies vaccination is a responsibility that comes with owning an animal,” SCDPH rabies program manager Terri McCollister said. “It is one of the easiest and most effective ways you can protect yourself, your family, your pets, and your livestock from this fatal disease.”
McCollister called vaccination an investment “worth making” for animal owners’ peace of mind.
Rabies is a viral disease affecting the central nervous system and is typically transmitted through the bite or scratch of an infected animal. Once clinical symptoms develop, the disease is almost always fatal – making prompt treatment following a potential exposure critical.
Anyone who believes they, someone they know or their pets may have come into contact with any of the three infected animals – or another animal suspected of carrying rabies – should contact SCDPH’s 24-hour rabies reporting line at 888-847-0902 and select Option 2.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Erin Parrott is a Greenville, S.C. native who graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2025 with a bachelor degree in broadcast journalism. Got feedback or a tip for Erin? Email her here.
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