IN commemoration of World Rabies Day today, September 28, the Amanzimtoti SPCA has provided information about the deadly yet preventable, disease.
“Rabies has been terrorising humans and animals for 4 000 years. It is a zoonotic disease, transmitted between animals and humans, that is spread via saliva. This usually occurs via a bite wound inflicted by an infected animal; although scratches and even licks may also pose a risk.
More than 59 000 people die from rabies every year, 99% of which are a result of exposure to an infected domestic dog. This means that a person dies every nine minutes from rabies,” said Amanzimtoti SPCA’s Michelle Hannan.
She added that the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) exists to end the inequality that allows neglected communities to continue to suffer from an ancient and terrifying but completely preventable disease.
She said man’s best friend, the domestic dog, poses the biggest public health threat in terms of rabies in the 21st century. “Across more than 150 countries that still have rabies, 99% of all human rabies cases are as a result of exposure to a dog with rabies. Therefore, by eliminating rabies in dogs, we can eliminate nearly all human rabies deaths globally,” said Hannan.
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Hannan added that it is not just people who die as a result of rabies, as dogs also suffer the horrific symptoms before eventually succumbing to the disease. But, dogs also suffer from a second tragedy – their long-standing association with the disease.
“Dogs are often considered the cause of rabies, which means that communities and governments blame dogs in general. This typically results in a demand for action – the inhumane and indiscriminate culling of large amounts of dogs,” she said.
However, she said experts agree that the dog is the victim of rabies. “In fact, issues with dogs can be seen rather as a symptom of rabies, along with other problems that communities typically face like biting animals and rabies cases,” said Hannan.
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Therefore, improving dog welfare through dog population management, community awareness, and effective rabies vaccination strategies, contributes towards the elimination of rabies and the general harmony within communities, saving both human and dog lives in the process.
For more information, contact the Toti SPCA on 031 904 2424. Alternatively, visit your local vet to get your pet vaccinated.
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