Rabies in South Carolina Rabies (Lyssavirus) is a deadly animal
virus that attacks nerves in the spinal cord and brain. The
virus can be passed to a healthy animal or a person if saliva
from an animal with late-stage rabies gets into a wound or cut.
In South Carolina, rabies is most often found in: It is also
common in coyotes. Rabies is almost never seen in squirrels,
opossums, mice, rabbits and chipmunks. Each year, from 15,000 to
39,000 Americans are vaccinated for rabies as a precaution after
being bitten by animals – mostly unvaccinated dogs. U.S. Death
Rate Low Thanks to Vaccines Very few Americans die from rabies –
on average, only 1-2 per year since 1990. In less developed
parts of the world, it's different. About 50,000 people – most
of them children – die from rabies annually. The U.S. death rate
from rabies is low thanks to pet vaccination campaigns and
highly effective human rabies vaccinations for those who come in
contact with rabies. Some states have also started vaccinating
wild animal populat