Rabid Skunks Confirmed in Laurens and Pickens Counties; Two Horses and Three Pets Exposed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Nov. 24, 2025

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed that two skunks from separate counties have tested positive for rabies.

• In Pickens County, a skunk found near Browning and Barret Meadow roads in Central, S.C., has tested positive for rabies. No people are known to have been exposed at this time. Two horses were exposed and will be quarantined as required in the South Carolina Rabies Control Act.
• In Laurens County, a skunk found near Garrett Patton Road and Highway 418 in Fountain Inn, S.C., has tested positive for rabies. No people are known to have been exposed at this time. Three dogs were exposed and will be quarantined as required in the South Carolina Rabies Control Act.

Both skunks were submitted to DPH's laboratory for testing Nov. 19, 2025, and were confirmed to have rabies Nov. 20, 2025. If you believe you, your family members, or your pets have come in contact with either of these skunks or another animal that potentially has rabies, please call DPH's Upstate Greenville-Spartanburg office at (864) 372-3270 during normal business hours (8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday) or after hours and on holidays at (888) 847-0902 (Select Option 2).

South Carolina law requires all dogs, cats, and ferrets be vaccinated against rabies and revaccinated at a frequency to provide continuous protection of the pet from rabies using a vaccine approved by the department and licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Livestock are susceptible to rabies and all livestock with USDA-approved rabies vaccinations should be vaccinated. Cattle and horses, however, are the most frequently reported infected livestock species. Species for which licensed vaccines are not available (goat and swine), that have frequent contact with humans, or are considered valuable, should also be vaccinated.

“Keeping your pets and livestock current on their rabies vaccination is a responsibility that comes with owning an animal. 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. That is an investment worth making to provide yourself some peace of mind.” said Terri McCollister, DPH’s Rabies Program manager.

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. In 2025, the Pickens County skunk is the fourth animal to test positive for rabies, and the Laurens County skunk is the sixth animal in that county to test positive for rabies in that county. There have been 94 cases of rabid animals statewide this year. Since 2002, South Carolina has averaged approximately 144 positive cases a year. In 2024, six of the 81 confirmed rabies cases in South Carolina were in Pickens County, and four were in Laurens County.

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.

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