Five Newberry County residents are under a doctor's care and receiving inoculations to prevent rabies.

The Kinards residents are being treated after coming into contact with a calf that tested positive for the disease, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported today.

“The calf was bitten by a skunk about a month ago and began to display some of the classic symptoms of rabies,“ said Sue Ferguson of DHEC's Bureau of Environmental Health. “The individuals are receiving inoculations because they bottle fed the calf and could have come into contact with its saliva.

This is the first confirmed rabid animal in Newberry County in 2008. In 2007, three animals were confirmed with rabies in the county and there were 162 confirmed cases of rabies in animals in South Carolina. So far this year, there have been 34 confirmed cases in animals in the state.

“Because rabies is fatal to humans and animals, anyone bitten, scratched or otherwise exposed to the saliva of a rabid animal must undergo immediate preventive measures to stop the virus from reaching the brain,“ Ferguson said. “State law requires that all pets be vaccinated against rabies, and we strongly encourage residents to avoid contact with stray animals and make sure their own pets have been vaccinated to protect both the pets and their owners.

“Be wary of tame animals ‘acting wild' and wild animals ‘acting tame' and if you are bitten or scratched by a wild animal or domestic pet, immediately wash the wound with plenty of soap and water,“ she said.

“DHEC advises the public to be sure to get immediate medical attention for any possible exposure to the saliva of a rabid animal and to be sure to report the incident to DHEC.“

Ferguson said that about 400 South Carolinians have to undergo preventive treatment for rabies every year after being bitten by a rabid or suspected rabid animal.

For more information about rabies, see DHEC's Web page at: www.scdhec.gov/rabies, or contact DHEC's Newberry County Environmental Health Office at 321-2175. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web page about rabies can be found at: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies.