State health officials confirmed rabies in a raccoon found near Starfish Drive and River Road, marking the 11th case in Charleston County this year.
The South Carolina Department of Public Health confirmed that a raccoon found near Starfish Drive and River Road in Johns Island has tested positive for rabies.
No people are known to have been exposed, according to DPH. Two dogs were exposed and will be quarantined under the South Carolina Rabies Control Act.
The raccoon was submitted for testing Sept. 9 and confirmed positive Sept. 10, DPH said.
Anyone who believes they, someone they know, or a pet may have come into contact with the raccoon or another potentially rabid animal is asked to call DPH’s Charleston office at (843) 953-4713 during business hours, or (888) 847-0902, option 2, after hours and on holidays.
“Keeping your pets up to date on their rabies vaccination is the easiest way to protect you and your family from this deadly virus,” said Terri McCollister, DPH’s Rabies Program manager. “Any mammal has the ability to carry and transmit the disease to people or pets. Therefore, give wild and stray animals plenty of space.”
DPH said rabies in South Carolina is most commonly found in wildlife such as raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats, though pets are equally susceptible. The agency advises against touching animals that appear sick or injured and recommends contacting a trained handler, such as an animal control or wildlife control officer.
DPH defines an exposure as direct contact with saliva or nervous system tissue from an infected animal through broken skin or mucous membranes.
This raccoon marks the 11th animal to test positive for rabies in Charleston County this year, according to DPH. Statewide, there have been 83 confirmed rabies cases in 2026. South Carolina has averaged about 136 positive cases annually since 2002, and Charleston County recorded eight of the state’s 101 confirmed cases in 2025.
Based on a release from S.C. Dept. of Public Health.
