EVANS, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A raccoon tested positive for rabies after it bit someone last week at Blanchard Woods Park in Evans. The Columbia County Health Department says the bite happened Aug. 14. Columbia County Animal Services later captured the raccoon, which was sent for rabies testing. Confirmation of the positive test was received Wednesday. The bite victim has begun rabies treatment. Dangerously high temperatures are settling in across the CSRA, so Georgia and South Carolina health officials are urging people to take heat safety seriously. Health officials are reminding residents and visitors to be alert, especially in wooded areas, and to avoid approaching wild animals. Officials also are stressing the importance of keeping pets vaccinated against rabies, not letting them roam freely and avoiding feeding animals outside, which can attract stray and wild creatures. Parents are encouraged to talk with children about staying away from wild animals and animals they do not know. Any contact between people or domestic animals and wild animals should be reported to the Columbia County Health Department Environmental Health Section or Columbia County Animal Services. Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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