KWAZULU-Natal is currently under siege from the outbreak of rabies which has affected, in particular, communities along the coastal areas of the province.
This statement was released by Themba Mthembu, the MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development regarding the government’s response to the scourge of the rabies in the province.
He said the most affected districts were InkosiCetshwayo (along Richards Bay and Eshowe areas), Ilembe (Stanger areas), eThekwini (Inanda and surroundings) and the Ugu District.
ALSO READ: Rabies hits Highway, pet owners cautioned
However, an official from the State Vet confirmed that a three-year-old boy from Kloof was among the three people from the province who died after contracting the virus.
According to the official, the boy was visiting Blythedale in Ballito with his family, when he was bitten on his right leg by a feral cat. The boy became very ill 30 days after the incident and was hospitalised for Encephalitis (swelling of the brain) where he was put into an induced coma.
He died at Hillcest Private Hospital and only after his death, did his post mortem reveal that he had canine rabies.
The State Vet confirmed there had been six human deaths in SA but said it was rare to have six cases where 50 per cent of the bites was caused by rabid cats.
Mthembu said this new spike follows the first outbreak that affected the province in the last quarter of last year which the department combated through vaccination interventions and public education, especially in rural areas where it was detected,” said Mthembu.
“This scourge has gone inland as the third life lost was reported in Vryheid last week. Reports from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases indicate that the virus has been detected in the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga,” said Mthembu.
SPCA cautions community
Barbara Patrick, manager of the Kloof and Highway SPCA, has cautioned people about the danger of not treating any bites and scratches they might get as a result of handling stray or unknown animals.
KZN fights back against #rabies https://t.co/AqpNjsPqCQ pic.twitter.com/OdNG7LFamo
— @SAgovnews (@SAgovnews) March 14, 2018
“Treatment of any wound or scratch must be administered immediately and proof of rabies vaccinations must be obtained from the owner of the animal as soon as possible.
“Sadly the rabies virus does not show itself with obvious signs immediately and we are currently treating all cases with extreme caution to protect our community, volunteers and staff,” said added.
Problem factors
Mthembu accredited the dramatic increase in the disease as a result of steadily declining vaccination levels in dogs from 2014.
Other contributing factors were unfilled key State Vet and supervisory positions; the steady deteriorating fleet of vehicles; restrictions of operational funds; an unsuitable national tender vaccine; and increased workloads from additional programmes.
“With only 160 field staff in veterinary services vaccinating a decent percentage of 1.2 million dogs is simply impossible,” said Mthembu.
He added that the declining public awareness and education (which should be driven primarily from the Department of Health) and the natural complacency that follows, have led people not to seek lifesaving treatment.
Plan ahead
The department has put up a comprehensive and intensive response to fight this upsurge through the roll-out of a massive education, awareness and a vaccination programme focused primarily, but not exclusively, in coastal areas.
The department has also allocated additional resources for more vaccines and vehicles suitable for remote rural areas to augment its mobile animal health clinics.
ALSO READ: Protect your pets against rabies
For the past three and half weeks, they have been on the ground working with traditional leadership and councillors to galvanise households at community level to bring their dogs and cats for vaccinations.
The State Vet inoculated 987 animals (dogs and cats) in Gillitts over a three-hour period on 1 February in response to a rabid dog that bit three people in Gillitts in January.
Dates, places for free rabies clinic
Upper Highway -Monday, 9 April
8.30am to 9.30am – the car park in front of old Heidi’s farm stall in Botha’s Hill
10am to 11am – Westriding: open ground corner of Haylet and Edward Road
11.30 to 12.30pm – Assagay: parking lot of Natal saddlery
1pm to 2pm – Summerveld Country lodge B&B
8.30am to 9.30am – Hillcrest Primary parking lot opposite Remedial
10am to 11am – Next to Hillcrest High School on Ridge Road
11.30am to 12.30pm – Waterfall play lot corner of Howick Road and Tiger Avenue
1pm to 2pm – Crestholme: Joc’s store parking lot
8.30am to 9.30am – Shongweni station
10am to 11am – Mehtar store (top of Stockville Road)
11.30am to 12.30pm – Gillitts Shopping Centre near Quo Restaurant parking lot
1pm tp 2pm – Everton Park open ground in Forest View Drive
Innerwest and Pinetown – Tuesday, 10 April
8.30am to 10am – Cowies Hill community hall parking lot – Woodside Avenue
10.30am to 12pm – Playlot in Stapleton/Pastoll Road, Sarnia
12.30pm to 1.30pm – Playlot – corner of Leeds and Willow Crescent
8.30am to 10.30am – Kloof Town Hall – parking lot
11am to 12pm – Old Civic offices open ground off Emolweni Road, Kloof
12.30pm to 1.30pm – Klooflands Tennis Club parking area
8.30am to 10am – St Johns Checkers parking lot near old car wash
10.30am to 12pm – Lahee Park Swimming Pool parking lot
12.30pm to 1.30pm – Small play-lot opposite 87 Padfield Road, Padfield Park
Pinetown – Wyebank and New Germany – Wednesday, 11 April
8.30am to 10am – Winston Churchill Drive municipal open park
10.30am to 11.30am – Playlot in Clover Crescent
12pm to 1.30pm – Play-lot corner of Vivian and Caber Road
8.30am to 10am – Ashley Sports Club parking lot off Russell Street
10.30am to 12pm – Parking lot outside Ashley Primary School (5th Street)
12.30pm to 1.30pm – PicknPay undercover parking lot Pine Valley Centre
8.30am to 9.30am – Durban Solid Waste car park in Sailor Road, off Marievale Drive, Kloof/Wyebank
10am to 11am – Open space (post box clusters) Daisy Lane off Orchid Avenue, Wyebank
11.30am to 1.30pm – New Germany Sports Club/Civic Hall open space in East/Harvey Road
Westville – Thursday, 12 April
8.30am to 10.30am – Westville North Library (lower parking lot corner of Iver and Blair Atholl Roads)
11am to 1pm – Westville Civic Centre off Buckingham Terrace near recycle bins/parking lot
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