Wise up about rabies

There have been four positive cases of rabies in dogs in the Ilembe district recorded for the first half of this year.

Every 10 minutes, somewhere in the world, a person dies of rabies. Nearly half of these deaths occur in Africa.

Domestic dogs are the cause of more than 99% of these deaths.

In light of these scary statistics, World Rabies Day on September 28 calls everyone to take action against rabies.

Rabies kills both animals and people and all mammals can contract the disease.

The rabies virus is transmitted in the saliva through bites, licking of open wounds or licking of mucous membranes, such as the mouth.

It is important to remember that not all rabid animals behave in an aggressive manner.

For this reason, you should avoid touching strange, injured or sick animals.

If you are exposed to a suspected rabid animal, a course of post-exposure immunisation injections should be given immediately to prevent development of the disease.

There is no cure for rabies once the symptoms are present, and it inevitably leads to death.

If you think you may have been exposed to an animal of unknown vaccination status, wash any bite or scratch wounds thoroughly with soap and water for ten minutes straight away, then consult a doctor immediately.

Rabies prevention starts with the animal owner, therefore it is critical that all pet cats and dogs are regularly vaccinated against the fatal disease.

An initial course of two vaccinations is required, followed by booster vaccinations.

Rabies is endemic to South Africa and failure to vaccinate domestic pets is illegal and a public health risk.

Protect yourself, your pet and your community by ensuring rabies vaccinations are up to date.