Three people have been exposed to a rabid fox in Lexington County.

The state Department of Health and Environmental Control confirmed finding the animal between Jules Road and Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve in Lexington. The people exposed were referred to their healthcare providers.

The fox was submitted for lab testing on July 23 and was confirmed positive for rabies on July 24.

Three animals have tested positive for rabies in Lexington County this year, according to DHEC.

The other two were identified June 13 and July 15, and were both raccoons found in Chapin.

The county remains far behind last year’s total of 101 confirmed rabies cases within its borders.

45 rabid animals have been identified statewide in 2022. The average per year (since 2002) is 148.

“Keeping your pets up to date on their rabies vaccination is the easiest way to protect you and your family from this deadly virus,” Terri McCollister, rabies program team leader for DHEC, is quoted in the release. “Any mammal has the ability to carry and transmit the disease to people or pets. Therefore, give wild and stray animals plenty of space. In South Carolina, rabies is most often found in wildlife such as raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats, but pets are just as susceptible to the virus."