Rabies on the increase in KZN

A call has been put out by MEC of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs in KwaZulu-Natal, Mtholephi Mthimkhulu, urging all dog owners in the province to ensure that their dogs are vaccinated against rabies every year. This comes in the wake of a sudden surge of rabies cases in KZN. Since January 2007, more than 200 cases have been recorded by the KZN DAEA’s Veterinary Services, and concerns have been raised that this figure could increase to almost 450 by the end of 2007. “It is important to remember that before 1976, rabies had been declared eliminated in KwaZulu-Natal,” said Mbulelo Baloyi, the MEC’s spokesperson. “However, the disease resurfaced in the mid-1970s and there have been cases every year since.” Baloyi added that two people bitten by rabid dogs in separate incidents just over a month ago had died as a result of contracting the disease. One case was in the Inchanga area west of Durban and the other was in Appelbosch between Tongaat and Noodsberg. “We urge all dog owners to vaccinate their animals against rabies because this disease kills both people and animals in our province every year,” Mthimkhulu said. “The most common way rabies is transmitted to animals and people is through the bite of an infected dog. So any dog bite should be immediately treated as a rabies case and the patient should be attended to within the first 24 hours.” The MEC added that the rabies vaccine was highly effective in preventing the disease. He also advised people bitten by dogs to wash the wound immediately with soap and water before seeking medical advice. “Rabies in humans is 100% preventable if correct treatment is administered soon after the bite,” Mthimkhulu concluded. – Lloyd Phillips