16 people in S.C. checked for rabies

HILTON HEAD, S.C., May 9 (UPI) -- Sixteen people in South Carolina who fed, kissed and held a baby raccoon are being treated by a physician after the animal tested positive for rabies.

Seven others might need vaccines to prevent them from contracting rabies, and 20 pets are under quarantine for 45 days, The State of Columbia, S.C., reported Friday.

"There was a lot of affectionate handling, kissing it and feeding it. Part of that is it was 3 weeks old, and they inserted fingers into the raccoon's mouth. Saliva is one way that rabies spreads," said Clair Boatwright, spokeswoman for the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The baby raccoon, found in Hilton Head, S.C., did not show signs of the disease, but became ill Monday. A day later, a veterinarian euthanized the animal and sent it to the state health department, where it tested positive for rabies.

In most cases, wild animals will not show signs of rabies, and people will not experience symptoms if they are exposed to the disease, Boatwright said.

"Once you have a symptom, it has reached the brain and it is fatal," she said. "If you are exposed to the disease, it doesn't mean you have developed the disease. That's when we can prevent it."