Rabid raccoon confirmed in Newberry County, 1 pet exposed
A raccoon eats peanuts on the boardwalk in Panama City, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
NEWBERRY COUNTY, S.C. (WOLO)– South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) says a raccoon found in Newberry County has tested positive for rabies.
The raccoon found in Newberry County was found near Graham and Griffin roads in Pomaria, S.C.
No people are known to have been exposed at this time.
Although, one dog was exposed and will be quarantined as required in the South Carolina Rabies Control Act.
Health officials says the raccoon was submitted to DPH’s laboratory for testing on Feb. 11, 2026, and was confirmed to have rabies on Feb. 12, 2026.
“Keeping your pets up-to-date on their rabies vaccination is the easiest way to protect you and your family from this deadly virus. Any mammal has the ability to carry and transmit the disease to people or pets. Therefore, give wild and stray animals plenty of space,” states Terri McCollister, rabies program manager.
In South Carolina, rabies is most often found in wildlife such as raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats, but pets are just as susceptible to the virus.
Contact information for local Public Health offices is available at dph.sc.gov/RabiesContacts.
For more information on rabies, visit dph.sc.gov/rabies or cdc.gov/rabies.
