An increase in the number of human deaths due to rabies, is of concern to the department of Eastern Cape rural development and agrarian reform.
In a statement on Friday, the department said six people had died since the start of 2018 and three in 2017.
Speaking at the world rabies day commemoration at Mketengeni Administrative Area in Flagstaff, where rabies claimed the life of a three-year-old child, DRDAR director of animal health Dr Cebisa Mnqeta said: “Rabies kills, pass the message. We are vaccinating dogs and cats across the province to prevent rabies.
“We urge communities to bring pets for vaccination so that we can prevent human fatalities,” Mnqeta said. Also of concern, he said, was that some people refused to have their pets vaccinated, even when DRDAR officials went about doing vaccinations for free.
“That resistance must stop,” he said.
Nkosi Daluxolo Cinana, from Mtshayelo village, said municipalities should introduce bylaws “to force people to vaccinate their pets. In this area, which I am leading, it will be an offence if one refuses to send his or her pet for vaccination.
“We appreciate government is vaccinating our pets for free. It is totally unacceptable that people refuse to vaccinate their dogs.”
So far in 2018, DRDAR has vaccinated about 267,000 pets across the province, while in 2017 more than 400,000 were vaccinated.
Human fatalities caused by rabies in 2018 were at Zithulele village in Mqanduli, Mketengeni Administrative Area in Flagstaff, Nomadolo in Ngqeleni and Malisweni village in Qumbu.
The disease is spread through the saliva of a rabid animal. – DDR
EC concern as deaths from rabies rise
Rabies kills [people], pass the message on
Image: THOZI MANYISANA
An increase in the number of human deaths due to rabies, is of concern to the department of Eastern Cape rural development and agrarian reform.
In a statement on Friday, the department said six people had died since the start of 2018 and three in 2017.
Speaking at the world rabies day commemoration at Mketengeni Administrative Area in Flagstaff, where rabies claimed the life of a three-year-old child, DRDAR director of animal health Dr Cebisa Mnqeta said: “Rabies kills, pass the message. We are vaccinating dogs and cats across the province to prevent rabies.
“We urge communities to bring pets for vaccination so that we can prevent human fatalities,” Mnqeta said. Also of concern, he said, was that some people refused to have their pets vaccinated, even when DRDAR officials went about doing vaccinations for free.
“That resistance must stop,” he said.
Nkosi Daluxolo Cinana, from Mtshayelo village, said municipalities should introduce bylaws “to force people to vaccinate their pets. In this area, which I am leading, it will be an offence if one refuses to send his or her pet for vaccination.
“We appreciate government is vaccinating our pets for free. It is totally unacceptable that people refuse to vaccinate their dogs.”
So far in 2018, DRDAR has vaccinated about 267,000 pets across the province, while in 2017 more than 400,000 were vaccinated.
Human fatalities caused by rabies in 2018 were at Zithulele village in Mqanduli, Mketengeni Administrative Area in Flagstaff, Nomadolo in Ngqeleni and Malisweni village in Qumbu.
The disease is spread through the saliva of a rabid animal. – DDR
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