Rabies prevention urged

Namibia is one of the few countries where both types of rabies occur and therefore the agriculture ministry has urged the public to take the necessary steps to prevent this devastating disease. Agriculture executive director Percy Misika said rabies is an animal disease, but too often the outcome is gauged in terms of human suffering and death. According to him, rabies is a 100% preventable, yet incurable disease causing approximately 60 000 human deaths worldwide annually, with one person dying every 10 minutes. “The burden associated with rabies remains the highest in the developing world, with more than 95% of all human deaths occurring in Africa and Asia. Rural populations, especially children aged below 15 years, are at greater risk of rabies exposure.” Misika said in most parts of the world, rabies is endemic in either dogs (canine rabies) or in wildlife species (sylvatic rabies). According to him, Namibia is one of only a few countries where both forms of the disease occur, but because dogs are responsible for transmission of over 98% of all human rabies, controlling the disease in dogs is the first priority in preventing transmission to humans. He said success in canine rabies elimination has been demonstrated in developing countries such as Latin America and Asia, where the sustained mass vaccination of dogs was shown to be the single most cost-effective intervention for controlling and eliminating canine rabies, and consequently human rabies. “Uncontrolled rabies can negatively influence trade and is costly as well. Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals.” It is a zoonotic disease, most commonly transmitted by a bite from an infected animal. In humans, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of symptoms. The rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing brain damage and death. Misika said about 10% of the financial resources used for post-bite treatment in humans would be sufficient to eliminate rabies at the animal source in dogs and so prevent almost all human cases at minimal cost. The primary method of rabies control is the vaccination of pets and in high-risk areas production animals may also be vaccinated. Control in wildlife can be done in managing the menace of rabies. In urban areas, this is the responsibility of local authorities who have the power to seize and detain or destroy such animals. ELLANIE SMIT

Rabies prevention urged

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-18

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Rabies prevention urged

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-18

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