News / Health
Rabies kills 2 in Manicaland
31 Mar 2013 at 22:43hrs | Views
Two people have died from suspected rabies while 400 others were bitten by dogs in one week alone throughout the country.
The vaccination status of the majority of the offending dogs was not known, a weekly national disease surveillance report has revealed.
According to the report compiled by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and various partners working in the health sector, a 397 dog bites were recorded in the week ending March 17.
Of these only 23 were inflicted by vaccinated dogs.
"The vaccination status of 374 dogs was unknown," reads part of the report.
The highest number of dog bites were in Manicaland (84) and Midlands (60).
The report further says, during the same week, two people died of rabies.
"Two suspected rabies cases which later turned to two deaths were reported this week. The cases were reported from Mutasa and Chipinge districts in Manicaland province," reads the report.
Rabies is a disease caused by a virus found in the saliva of infected animals and is transmitted to pets and humans by bites, or possibly by contamination of an open cut.
People mauled by an infected animal should get treatment within 72 hours after the attack, failure of which results in painful death.
Most animals can be infected by the virus and can transmit the disease to man. Rabies may also spread through exposure to infected domestic farm animals and wild carnivores.
It is a law in Zimbabwe to vaccinate dogs against rabies.
According to the Government's weekly report, four people have died of rabies since the beginning of the year while the total number of people who have been bitten by dogs stands as 4 890 to date.
The World Health Organisation seeks to eliminate rabies in the region by 2020. Other countries have since eliminated the disease but in Zimbabwe, rabies is still a cause for concern.
Statistics from the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare shows that 11 people died of rabies in 2012 and a further 17 450 people were bitten by dogs the same year.
The vaccination status of the majority of the offending dogs was not known, a weekly national disease surveillance report has revealed.
According to the report compiled by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and various partners working in the health sector, a 397 dog bites were recorded in the week ending March 17.
Of these only 23 were inflicted by vaccinated dogs.
"The vaccination status of 374 dogs was unknown," reads part of the report.
The highest number of dog bites were in Manicaland (84) and Midlands (60).
The report further says, during the same week, two people died of rabies.
Rabies is a disease caused by a virus found in the saliva of infected animals and is transmitted to pets and humans by bites, or possibly by contamination of an open cut.
People mauled by an infected animal should get treatment within 72 hours after the attack, failure of which results in painful death.
Most animals can be infected by the virus and can transmit the disease to man. Rabies may also spread through exposure to infected domestic farm animals and wild carnivores.
It is a law in Zimbabwe to vaccinate dogs against rabies.
According to the Government's weekly report, four people have died of rabies since the beginning of the year while the total number of people who have been bitten by dogs stands as 4 890 to date.
The World Health Organisation seeks to eliminate rabies in the region by 2020. Other countries have since eliminated the disease but in Zimbabwe, rabies is still a cause for concern.
Statistics from the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare shows that 11 people died of rabies in 2012 and a further 17 450 people were bitten by dogs the same year.
Source - Herald
