WATCH OUT FOR RABIES

Dogs can be dangerous, something that small children don’t always understand. Rene Grobler, Netcare’s national quality and systems manager for trauma and emergency, says that it is also important to remember that “Dogs are the main carriers of the rabies virus, which is of particular concern in some parts of our country. According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, in the last 20 years, more than 40 percent of human rabies cases in South Africa have been recorded in KwaZulu-Natal, with 24 percent in the Eastern Cape and 21 percent in Limpopo.”

Teach children the following to help prevent them being bitten by a dog:

■ Never wake a sleeping dog, even a family pet.

■ Never interfere with a dog while it is eating or feeding its puppies.

■ Do not hurt, pester or tease dogs.

■ If an unfamiliar dog runs towards you, it is best to stand still and remain quiet “like a tree” with your hands at your sides and not make eye contact. Usually, the dog will lose interest.

If a dog does attack:

■ Try to keep still, and do not pull away from the dog.

■ If you fall, roll into a ball, protecting your face and head, tucking your arms and legs in.

If your child is bitten, seek emergency medical care.