Rabies cases on the rise
There has been an upsurge in the incidence of rabies in several parts of the country lately. This has been blamed on the unwillingness of pet owners to vaccinate their animals and the continuous presence of too many stray pets whose owners cannot be identified.
The viral rabies disease has been within the dog population of Ghana for decades, with the domestic dog being the principal vector.
Dog rabies is estimated to cause 24,000 human deaths per year in Africa. However, this estimate is still considered to be conservative. In Ghana, 25 human rabies deaths were recorded between January 2009 and July 2011. And four have been recorded recently.
Previously, control methods including dog vaccination and stray dog removal have been intermittent and not sustained. Unfortunately, as in several other developing African countries, the patronage of rabies vaccination within the Ghanaian veterinary services is worryingly on the low.
A veterinary doctor, Dr Shanti says that rabies in humans could be eliminated through adequate animal vaccination and control, educating those at risk and enhancing access to those bitten for appropriate medical care.
Occasionally dogs are poisoned, stoned, or beaten from fear of rabies, a constant threat in Ghana. The ineffective enforcement of bye-laws on pet handling continues to be a major headache for city authorities.
One’s first exposure to a rabies bite leaves one experiencing itching or discomfort like pins or needles pricking the skin at the affected body part, and if medical treatment is not sought immediately it results in death.
In the light of this, house-to-house inspection for evidence of vaccination of pets by owners and confiscation of pets not vaccinated among other measures should be continued by the appropriate authorities.
By: Johannes Macwood
Accra, May 22, 2012
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