Get pets vaccinated against rabies
All pet owners are urged to have their dogs and cats vaccinated against rabies if their rabies vaccinations are not up to date. Rabies is a viral disease that causes inflammation in the brain in humans and other mammals. It is one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases with a fatality rate of 99,9%. The virus is present in the nerves and saliva of a symptomatic rabid animal and is spread from rabid animals to healthy animals and humans through any encounter that allows the contaminated saliva to enter the body.
In August, the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform declared a rabies outbreak in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro and, at the time, the department’s veterinary services deputy director, Dr Lungile Jali, warned that the outbreak was spreading rapidly, with different areas reporting rabies.
Subsequently, during August and September, there has been a significant increase in the number of reported cases in the Metro. According to the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform, 70 positive cases of rabies have been reported in the Metro and eight in East London recently.
Fortunately, the last rabies case that has been reported in Graaff-Reinet (Adendorp) in March appears to have been an isolated one but given the fact that the epidemiology of the disease is dynamic and changes based on factors such as vaccination coverage and the movement of animals, residents should be vigilant and protect themselves against infection.
Dogs with rabies typically walk around with their mouths open and drooling. They normally have difficulty swallowing and often make choking sounds as if they have something stuck in their throats.
In many cases, the infected animal is exceptionally aggressive and may attack without provocation. It is important to note that not all rabid animals act rabid and in some animals the disease may present itself as sudden uncharacteristic behaviour and/or unexplained paralysis.
It is critical to get preventative treatment immediately if you suspect that you have been in contact with a rabid animal as there is no cure for rabies in humans or in animals when the virus has spread to the brain and the symptoms of the disease become evident. If you have been bitten by a dog or any other animal, the first warning sign is an unusual or unexplained tingling, pricking or burning sensation at the wound site. Other initial symptoms of rabies include fever, headache, excess salivation, muscle spasms, paralysis, agitation or confusion.
The recent rabies outbreak in the Metro has already claimed the life of a nine-year-old boy from Motherwell who died at the Dora Nginza Hospital on Thursday, 9 September.
Last week the Department of Health also confirmed the deaths of a seven-year-old boy and a five-yearold girl from Reeston in East London on 29 June and 3 August respectively, bringing the province’s death toll since late-June to a total of three. Even though rabies cannot be cured, it is 100% preventable through vaccination and, for this reason, dog vaccination awareness and increased vaccination rates is essential to minimize human exposure.
The Camdeboo Veterinary Clinic in
102 Somerset Street (082 883 7683/ 049 891 0900) recently launched a rabies drive and pet owners can now have their dogs and cats vaccinated on appointment at R16 per animal.
Generous members of the community have already started donating money towards ensuring that those who cannot afford to pay the R16 can also have their pets vaccinated at the Camdeboo Veterinary Clinic.
In addition, the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform at the Petrus de Klerk Building in Bourke Street (049 845 9019) have a limited number of rabies vaccinations available to pet owners who do not have the financial means to pay for the vaccination.
The local SPCA (072 123 1722) also have vaccinations available for dogs for a mere R50.00 per dog.