CHAPIN, S.C. — A raccoon found in Chapin has tested positive for rabies, and one person who came into contact with it has been sent to a health care provider, the South Carolina Department of Public Health said Monday.
State lab workers received the animal on Oct. 13 and confirmed the infection a day later, on Oct. 14. The agency made the case public on Oct. 19 in a notice that also listed a rabid bat from Pickens County and a second raccoon from Charleston, each tied to one human exposure.
The Chapin raccoon was picked up near Bristlecone Road and Frick Court. It is the sixth animal in Lexington County to test positive for the virus in 2026. By comparison, the county accounted for just three of the 101 rabies cases confirmed across the state in 2025.
Statewide, 95 animals have been confirmed rabid so far this year. South Carolina has averaged about 136 positive cases a year since 2002.
Anyone who believes they, a relative or a pet may have touched this raccoon, or any other animal that could carry rabies, is asked to call the agency rabies prevention line at 888-847-0902 and choose option 2.
Any mammal can carry rabies. The virus reaches a new host through a bite or a scratch, or when saliva or nerve tissue from a sick animal gets into broken skin, the eyes or the mouth. Health officials stress that the disease is fully preventable in people who get prompt medical care, and that care after an exposure typically runs more than $3,000 per person in the United States.
There is no way to tell whether an animal is rabid just by looking at it, since only a lab test can confirm the disease. Residents should never touch a stray or wild animal with bare hands, whether it is alive or dead. After any contact, wash the area well with soap and plenty of water and see a doctor.
Keeping dogs, cats and ferrets current on their rabies shots is one of the simplest ways for Chapin households to guard against the virus, according to the agency.
Filed under: Chapin SC Health News
