Rabid bat found in Sumter, 1 person exposed

A bat found near Bay Springs Drive and McCrays Mill Road in Sumter has tested positive for rabies, according to a news release from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. One person was exposed and has been referred to a health care provider. The bat was submitted to DHEC's laboratory for testing on May 7 and was confirmed to have rabies on May 8. This bat is the first animal in Sumter County to test positive for rabies in 2021.
“Rabid bats have been known to transmit the rabies virus to people and pets,” said Terri McCollister, Rabies Program team leader, in the release. “People don’t always realize they’ve been bitten since bat teeth are tiny and bites are easy to overlook. Because of this, you should always assume a person has potentially been bitten when they wake up to find a bat in a room or tent; a bat is found where children, pets or persons with impaired mental capacity (intoxicated or mentally disabled) have been left unattended; a person or pet has been in direct contact with a bat.”
If you, family members or pets might have come into contact with this bat or another animal that potentially has rabies, call DHEC's Environmental Affairs Sumter office at (803) 778-6548 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday or after hours and on holidays at (888) 847-0902 (select Option 2).
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 contact with saliva or body fluids from an infected animal.
Never handle a bat or any wild or stray animal, alive or dead, with your bare hands. 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.
“Although bats can carry rabies, not every bat is infected with the virus. Bats are an important part of South Carolina's ecosystems and deserve a healthy degree of respect, just like all wild animals,” McCollister said.
You can't tell if a bat, or any other animal, has rabies by simply looking at it. Rabies must be confirmed in a laboratory. Unusual behavior in bats that might indicate the animal has rabies includes daytime activity, inability to fly and being found in places they are not usually seen, like in your home or on your lawn.
It is important to keep pets up to date on their rabies vaccination, as this is one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect against the disease.
There have been 25 cases of rabid animals statewide this year. Since 2002, South Carolina has averaged approximately 148 positive cases a year. In 2020, none of the 168 confirmed rabies cases in South Carolina were in Sumter County.
Contact information for your local Environmental Affairs Health Offices is available at www.scdhec.gov/EAoffices. For more information on rabies, visit www.scdhec.gov/rabies or www.cdc.gov/rabies.