World Rabies Day
Four Paws urges the public to take the necessary precautions by protecting their animals and themselves from rabies.
September 28 marks the day of global advocacy and awareness for one of the world’s deadliest viruses, rabies.
Once bitten by an animal infected with rabies, the bullet-shaped virus enters the bloodstream of the previously uninfected animal before it becomes a host for the virus.
The virus targets the nervous system. The rabies virus will then begin to spread upstream in the host’s nervous system until it reaches the brain.
The host, which might be a dog for example, then has just days to live, with its last days spent in confusion, frothing at the mouth and madness. Rabies can be found across the world and affects mammals, including humans, but most commonly dogs.
This fate accounts for about 59 000 humans a year globally, of which 40% are children. Millions of dogs, cats and other animals die due to the disease, with countless being culled due to the fear of the virus.
However, the disease is preventable with vaccines and post-exposure treatment can be nearly 100% effective in humans.
According to Fiona Miles, director of Four Paws in South Africa, the majority of these agonising deaths occur in developing countries in Africa and Asia.
“It is almost eradicated in wealthier countries because they have a higher vaccination rate and can treat suspected patients using PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis). The cost of this treatment is high and sometimes out of reach for those living in poorer communities,” Miles explained.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) reported that as of August 23, a total of seven cases of human rabies were laboratory-confirmed in South Africa. The cases were reported from the Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape provinces.
In addition, to date, three probable cases of human rabies have been identified in KwaZulu-Natal but could not be investigated in the laboratory.
Dr Jacqueline Weyer, medical scientist from the NICD, said: “The outbreaks of dog rabies in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape is particularly concerning. Most human rabies cases are associated with rabid dogs and hence our concern. The trends of rabies in dogs are directly related to the success of the control programmes in dogs, and therefore the epidemiological curve of dog rabies cases which rises and falls over time. Each rise can be drawn to some failure in the rabies control programme, whatever the root cause of that may have been.”
Also Read: Understanding the dangers of rabies
Miles said the vaccinations of animals, sterilisations to reduce animal numbers, and public education are the only ways to prevent this disease.
“Three-quarters of emerging human infectious diseases come from animals and there is a direct link between animal welfare and increasing pandemic risk. For years, Four Paws has raised awareness and educated thousands of children and adults about responsible pet care, especially in the rural communities where rabies is a serious threat. We are planning a vaccination drive close to Lionsrock, our big cat sanctuary in Bethlehem, where we have seen a number of cases recently,” said Miles.
Information supplied by: Four Paws
Also Read: A call to end rabies by 2030
