KZN Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Super Zuma has called for calm and adherence as the province is not yet experiencing a rabies outbreak.

Zuma was speaking during the department’s rabies vaccination drive in the Nomyaca area in Dlangubo on Tuesday.

He clarified the state of the province after the National Institute for Communicable Diseases confirmed that a five-year-old Empangeni boy succumbed to rabies late last month.

At the time it was reported that cases of the preventable viral disease was surging in the province. Zuma refuted that this increase is considered an outbreak and stated: “It is not an outbreak; what we can say is that there is an increasing number of reported cases.”

Zululand Observer spoke to the MEC as well as veterinary services director Dr Kutwana Cameron about the disease.

Here’s what they said: