A bat found near Lometa Drive and Waterside Trail in York has tested positive for rabies, and three people and four pets were exposed, the South Carolina Department of Public Health said.
The bat was submitted to the department’s laboratory on Sept. 10 and confirmed positive on Sept. 11. The three people who were exposed have been referred to their healthcare providers. Two cats and two dogs were also exposed and will be quarantined as required under the state Rabies Control Act.
It is the seventh rabid animal confirmed in York County this year. The county recorded nine cases in all of 2025, which means it is on pace to match or exceed last year’s total with more than three months left on the calendar.
Two Other Counties Report Cases the Same Week
The York County bat was one of three animals from three counties that the department confirmed positive in the same announcement. A skunk found near Daniel Drive and Williford Road in Anderson tested positive, exposing one person. A stray cat found near Hendricks Short Cut Road and Zaccheus Lane in Conway also tested positive, exposing two people, two cats and one dog. Animal control in Horry County is assessing other stray cats in that area that may have been exposed.
South Carolina has reported 86 rabid animals in 2026. The state has averaged roughly 136 cases a year since 2002 and recorded 101 in 2025.
Bites From Bats Are Easy to Miss
Terri McCollister, the department’s Rabies Program manager, said bats carry a particular risk because people often do not know they have been bitten.
“People don’t always realize they or a pet have been bitten since bat teeth are tiny and bites are easy to overlook,” McCollister said.
Health officials advise treating certain situations as a potential bite even with no visible wound. Those include waking to find a bat in a room or tent, finding a bat where children, pets or an unattended person with impaired mental capacity have been, or having direct contact with a bat.
A bat that may have had contact with people, pets or livestock should be trapped in a sealed container rather than touched or released. Once a bat is released it cannot be tested.
Rabies can only be confirmed in a laboratory, and an animal cannot be diagnosed by sight. Daytime activity, an inability to fly and turning up in a yard or inside a house are behaviors that may signal infection in a bat.
What to Do After Contact
An exposure is defined as direct contact with saliva or brain and nervous system tissue from an infected animal through broken skin or through the eyes, nose or mouth. Anyone who has that contact should wash the area thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical attention.
McCollister said residents who find an animal in distress should contact an animal control officer, a wildlife control operator or a wildlife rehabilitator rather than handle it. She also said stray and feral cats are a significant source of exposure, and that pet owners who have seen unexplained injuries on their animals or watched them interact with strays in recent weeks should call their veterinarian.
Animal bites and possible exposures can be reported to the York County public health office between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. On nights, weekends and holidays, the department’s rabies reporting line is 888.847.0902, option 2. County contacts are listed at dph.sc.gov/RabiesContacts, and additional information is available at dph.sc.gov/rabies and cdc.gov/rabies.
Source: South Carolina Department of Public Health news release, Sept. 11, 2026. DPH Media Relations, [email protected] or 803.898.7769.
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
